Your peonies (Paeonia spp.) add a soft touch to your outdoor space with their large blossoms and layers full of delicate petals in hues such as pink or white. The swollen flower buds, before opening, are often referred to as an "eye," displaying a small hint of color. While these plants typically resist most pests other than scales, if you find flies hovering on and around your peony plant, take action but remain calm -- your plant is in no physical danger.
Give your peony plants the regular care they need for healthy growth and a heightened ability to be able to ward off and recover from pest problems. While flies cause little to no physical damage, the same interest these bugs have in your peonies may bring damaging pests to the scene. Grow peonies in areas of the home garden that offer full sun. These herbaceous perennials thrive in moist, well-drained soil; plant in loamy soil when possible. Peonies perform best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 8.
If you see flies on your peony plants, you have little to worry about regarding these pests. While they are a nuisance and may move from your plants to your indoor space where they are uninvited or to other places of interest, such as garbage cans, they will not damage your peonies. Problematic pests, such as scales, look like bumps on plant parts while thrips look like tiny dots. Flies, however, are easy to recognize. House flies (Musca domestica), for example, have dark, winged bodies measuring approximately 3/8-inch long and are most prevalent when temperatures run high.
The reason for the appearance of flies is an attraction to a secretion released by your peony buds. You may also notice the presence of ants on your peony buds for the same reason. People may tell you that the ants or flies are necessary, chewing at the buds so they can open, but this is a myth. The buds open on their own. However, flies and ants enjoy feeding on the sweet, honeylike plant sap and will continue visiting your peonies for this reason alone. Like flies, ants cause no damage to peony buds.
Because flies are simply a nuisance and an eyesore, you can ignore them without any potential damage to your peony plants. If the flies are particularly disruptive, an insecticidal spray will control them. However, because of the potential damage to the peony plant, beneficial insects and any nearby honeybees, applying chemicals for this brief problem that will disappear once the plant blooms is not necessary. Consider placing sticky fly strips near your plant to catch unwanted bugs without damaging the peonies.
- University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticulture Program: Peonies
- Clemson Cooperative Extension:
- University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: Peony -- Paeonia Spp.
- University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: Flies
- North Dakota State University Extension Service: Questions On -- Peony
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