CPL @1094 (100.0%) on 01-jan-2018 [ "arg2 reacts with carbon arg1" "arg2 and release carbon arg1" "arg2 and releasing carbon arg1" "arg2 and release of carbon arg1" "arg2 and releases carbon arg1" "arg2 and less carbon arg1" "arg2 andcarbon arg1" "arg2 and remove carbon arg1" "arg2 and carbon arg1" "arg2 in the form of carbon arg1" "arg2 into the atmosphere as carbon arg1" "arg2 from carbon arg1" "arg2 produces carbon arg1" "arg2 to make carbon arg1" "arg2 to produce carbon arg1" "arg2 into carbon arg1" "arg2 that release carbon arg1" "arg2 and absorb carbon arg1" "arg2 produce carbon arg1" "arg2 generates carbon arg1" "arg2 and absorbing carbon arg1" "arg2 releases carbon arg1" "arg2 to form carbon arg1" ] using (dioxide, soil)
OE @809 (96.1%) on 01-feb-2014 [ ] using (dioxide, soil)
CPL @1094 (99.2%) on 01-jan-2018 [ "arg2 and brought to the United arg1" "arg2 is not the United arg1" "arg2 and here in the United arg1" "arg2 and the United arg1" "arg2 and raised in the United arg1" "arg2 and in the United arg1" "arg2 than in the United arg1" ] using (states, soil)
CPL @1095 (99.2%) on 17-jan-2018 [ "arg2 to lay its arg1" "arg2 where she lays her arg1" "arg2 to mate and lay arg1" "arg2 to feed and lay arg1" "arg2 to lay her arg1" "arg2 to incubate their arg1" "arg2 to lay their arg1" ] using (eggs, soil)
CPL @1094 (99.8%) on 01-jan-2018 [ "arg1 bore into arg2" "arg1 lay eggs in arg2" "arg1 prefer moist arg2" "arg1 overwinter in arg2" "arg1 overwinter as adults in arg2" "arg1 tunnel into arg2" "arg1 lay their eggs in arg2" "arg1 will lay eggs in arg2" "arg1 begin to lay eggs in arg2" ] using (beetles, soil)
; if (id.length > 0){ element.onclick= function(){ var oToShow= document.getElementById(this.getAttribute(rel)); if (oToShow) document.getElementById(HiddenTextContainer).innerHTML= oToShow.innerHTML; };} }};function ShowHiddenText(){ document.getElementById(HiddenTextContainer).style.display= block; document.getElementById(readlink).style.display= none;} Question. Mike: We have flies all summer long; and even in the middle of winter if the sun comes out for a few hours. We have been told that these are cluster flies, and that they come from the ground every three weeks with a new hatch. The flies leave droppings all over our vinyl siding that has to be cleaned several times a summer with a bleach type cleaner. We have been told the flies come from earthworm castings, and we do have thousands of worms that surface every time it rains. We have tried several different products in liquid form and do get some temporary relief, but only for a couple weeks, and then its right back to the heavy concentrations. We live in the country with farms all around—including lots of cows a quarter mile away; could that be part of the problem? ---Dennis in Gaylord, Michigan Answer. No, those cows could be sending a lot of other kinds of flies your way—face flies, filth flies and the like—but not these weird little puppies! Cluster flies—so named because they appear indoors in huge clusters—are not attracted to any kind of manure, not even those earthworm castings you mentioned. They're after the poor earthworms themselves! Here's the deal: Female flies lay their eggs in earthworm-rich soil in the Spring; the eggs hatch and the larvae (a.k.a. maggots) go through that soil looking for earthworms to parasitize. After a few weeks, these nasty fiends move out of the deceased worms and find a nice place in the soil to pupate—that is, transform into their adult shape. Adult flies then emerge to mate and continue this cycle throughout the warm season—not quite every three weeks, but quickly enough that there can be four generations a year, even in a short-season region like yours. But they do not swarm on houses during this time, which means that your siding is being stained by something else, most likely the legendary 'artillery fungus' that breeds in wood mulches. On a hunch, I emailed Dennis to ask if there was wood mulch around his home, and he answered yes. Get rid of that mulch and you'll get rid of the stains. (You'll find lots more details about bad mulches at THIS PREVIOUS QUESTION OF THE WEEK.) Back to the flies: The finalgeneration of the season does cluster on homes. They're looking for a way to get inside so they can spend the winter hibernating indoors. Then they'll wake up in the Spring and try and leave through the same cracks and crevices they used to gain entry to their warm and cozy winter home—much like the notorious multi-colored Asian ladybug, stink bug, box elder bug and other home invading insects we've discussed in depth many times on the show. (You'll find one such discussion at THIS PREVIOUS QUESTION OF THE WEEK.) So our initial advice is the same as with those other pests—do everything you can to deny entry to the creatures. Make sure window screens fit tight, and seal and caulk up any little holes you can find on the South-facing side of your house, which is where that last generation of the season clusters at the end of summer, looking for a way in. Unlike those other home-invaders, cluster flies like to enter up high on that warm, South side, leading to their other common name of attic flies. So pay special attention up there, where vents and poor-fitting windows often offer easy access. Interestingly, Gale Ridge, an entomologist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station at New Haven, notes that these creatures seem to prefer homes in open settings with wide expanses of lawn. Structures surrounded by large trees rarely have infestations, she writes. So maybe plant some trees—especially on that oh-so-attractive South side. READ COMPLETE ANSWER You say you've tried products in liquid form, which I presume is double-speak for we poured some really nasty chemical toxins into our soil. That's a bad idea for more reasons than we have time for here (reason# 472: Uh-Oh! Isn't our well right around here somewhere?), but there is something you can apply that might work. Common sense pest control expert Bill Quarles, head of the BIRC (the Bio-Integral Resource Center; www.BIRC.org) in Berkeley, California, notes that cluster fly control can be difficult because the larval form wisely never ventures out of the soil. Ah, but, while in that soil, the larva are vulnerable to beneficial nematodes. These microscopic soil-dwelling creatures (so small they're sold by the multi-millions) seek out and parasitize many soil dwelling pests, like flea larvae and beetle grubs in lawns. But they DON'T harm earthworms, which makes them ideal for this purpose. Keep the worms; lose the flies. Beneficial nematodes—available from mail-order suppliers—work best in warm soil, so Bill suggests you release them in mid to late summer to try and control that oh-so-troublesome final generation. They'll arrive in a sponge or clay suspension or some other type of 'carrier'. Wait till the sun starts to go down, open the package, mix them with the recommended amount of water and then apply them to wet soil using an ordinary sprinkling can or a pressurized sprayer that has never held chemicals of any kind. With the right timing, you'll eliminate quite a few flies-to-be. (Or, in this case, not to be.) Some experts also suggest spraying the front of your home with pyrethrins—a largely-natural form of the botanical insecticide pyrethrum, derived from chrysanthemum flowers—or permethrin, a synthetic form of this pesticide. I'm not fond of the synthetic stuff, but a pyrethrin spray is probably the safest option for this kind of defense. Remember—the flies like to enter at the top of the house, so you may want to hire someone to get all the eaves and stuff up there. Another of our favorite pest control experts, Linda Gilkeson, adds that any flies what do get inside will often become active on warm winter days. Luckily, she explains that they finally DO act like regular old houseflies at this point, and will go right towards any source of light. So strips of flypaper placed close to a single source of light in an otherwise darkened room will catch them—and further break the cycle of annoyance. And finally, here's an article on the pests (with an image) from the Connecticut Extension Service: http://www.caes.state.ct.us/FactSheetFiles/Entomology Listen Here Ask Mike A Question Mike's YBYG Archives Find YBYG Show " /> https://www.gardensalive.com/product/cluster-flies--not-your-ordinary-buzzer Cluster flies—so named because they appear indoors in huge clusters—are not attracted to any kind of manure, not even those earthworm castings you mentioned. They're after the poor earthworms themselves! Here's the deal: Female flies lay their eggs in earthworm-rich soil in the Spring; the eggs hatch and the larvae (a.k.a. maggots) go through that soil looking for earthworms to parasitize. After a few weeks, these nasty fiends move out of the deceased worms and find a nice place in the soil to pupate—that is, transform into their adult shape. Adult flies then emerge to mate and continue this cycle throughout the warm season—not quite every three weeks, but quickly enough that there can be four generations a year, even in a short-season region like yours. https://www.gardensalive.com/product/cluster-flies--not-your-ordinary-buzzer Do you suppose they could be 'fungus gnats' and not fruit flies? I think fungus gnats are a common problem in moist soil where plants are grown indoors. One of the things that might help is a fan on low aimed at the plants to help dry out the soil surface a bit and maybe discourage the gnats themselves. I usually run a fan over my seedlings to make them sturdier. Probably shouldn't try this if they are already stressed though...other ideas in the links below..... https://permies.com/t/70410/Fruit-flies-invading Purchase and use only pasteurized container mix or potting mix. Commercial growers often treat potting soil with heat or steam before using it; this will kill flies and the algae and microorganisms they feed on. Home gardeners can solarize soil: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7448.html Small black flies around 2mm long run over the soil surface or fly slowly around houseplants, pot plants and borders. Larvae are small translucent worms, up to 1cm long. They are harder to see but can be found in the immediate area under the soil around the roots. When infestations are heavy, there may be shiny silken threads on the top of the soil. http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/advice/pests_and_diseases/identifier.shtml?black_fungus_gnats Wow, glad that I could help you out! ???? Yes, they are definitely fungus gnats. Fruit flies don't hang around the soil of plants, they only care about fruit or stuff that's fermenting. They are annoying, aren't they. https://getbusygardening.com/control-soil-gnats/ Fecal-oral pathogens are transmitted through complex, environmentally mediated pathways. Sanitation interventions that isolate human feces from the environment may reduce transmission but have shown limited impact on environmental contamination. We conducted a study in rural Bangladesh to (1) quantify domestic fecal contamination in settings with high on-site sanitation coverage; (2) determine how domestic animals affect fecal contamination; and (3) assess how each environmental pat
CPL @1094 (99.2%) on 01-jan-2018 [ "arg1 pupate in arg2" "arg1 oviposit on arg2" "arg1 but not harm arg2" "arg1 overwinter in arg2" "arg1 lay eggs in arg2" "arg1 lay their eggs in arg2" "arg1 will lay eggs in arg2" ] using (flies, soil)
CPL @1103 (99.2%) on 06-mar-2018 [ "arg1 pupate in arg2" "arg1 that burrow into arg2" "arg1 tunnel through arg2" "arg1 prefer moist arg2" "arg1 tunnel into arg2" "arg1 overwinter in arg2" "arg1 will burrow into arg2" ] using (grubs, soil)
CPL @1103 (96.9%) on 06-mar-2018 [ "arg1 that burrow into arg2" "arg1 burrow through arg2" "arg1 will burrow into arg2" "arg1 or pupae in arg2" "arg1 pupate in arg2" ] using (larvae, soil)
CPL @1103 (93.8%) on 06-mar-2018 [ "arg1 that burrow into arg2" "arg1 overwinter in arg2" "arg1 burrow through arg2" "arg1 lay eggs in arg2" ] using (mites, soil)
CPL @1103 (99.2%) on 06-mar-2018 [ "arg1 bore into arg2" "arg1 eat their way through arg2" "arg1 overwinter in arg2" "arg1 prefer damp arg2" "arg1 tunnel through arg2" "arg1 burrow through arg2" "arg1 that burrow into arg2" ] using (worms, soil)
CPL @1094 (99.8%) on 01-jan-2018 [ "arg1 lay their eggs in arg2" "arg1 will lay eggs in arg2" "arg1 will burrow into arg2" "arg1 deposit their eggs in arg2" "arg1 lay eggs into arg2" "arg1 lay eggs in arg2" "arg1 begin to lay eggs in arg2" "arg1 tunnel into arg2" "arg1 overwinter in arg2" ] using (females, soil)
CPL @1095 (98.4%) on 17-jan-2018 [ "arg2 quality of your arg1" "arg2 conditioning in your arg1" "arg2 quality in your arg1" "arg2 conditioners in your arg1" "arg2 conditioner in your arg1" "arg2 conditioner for your arg1" ] using (garden, soil)
CPL @1104 (93.8%) on 18-mar-2018 [ "arg2 conditioner for your arg1" "arg2 quality in my arg1" "arg2 quality in your arg1" "arg2 quality throughout your arg1" ] using (yard, soil)