Your first instinct when you spot a buzzing insect nearby is often to swat at it, but not every bug is a foe. Some are friends and worth a second look. Consider the hover fly, a tiny but mighty bee ...

Hover flies have one set of wings and no stinger. If you've been outside lately, chances are you've seen them — small flying insects that resemble sweat bees. In fact, you may have actually called ...

This summer, Bill and I have been inundated with little fast moving, yellow-tinged flies that people have for years called “sweat bees.” Well, this article sets the record straight. Hover flies ...

Trying to get yardwork done on the summer days of August can often be a challenge. The soaring temperatures, baking sun, and oppressive humidity can turn even moderate tasks into a sweaty and tiresome ...

The surefire way to know whether it’s a sweat bee or a corn fly buzzing around is if it stings. The halictid bee stings, but the corn fly, also called a hover fly, does not. “They’re mimics of bees, ...

Above: A harmless hover fly feeding on sweaty skin. These flies appear in mid- to late-summer. The 1860s song of this title has retained some popularity through the years. Who has not been annoyed by ...

Today we have a two-fer and it is all thanks to a wondrous change in the weather. I’ve complained about it before and I will complain about it again: The first two weeks of July were just a complete ...

When describing a fly, many people think of the ubiquitous house fly (Musca domestica); whereas, some biologists might envision the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). Both are good examples of ...