Identification (and life cycle/seasonal history) Hessian flies overwinter as flaxseeds in volunteer or fall-sown wheat. After adults emerge in the spring they mate, lay eggs, and die after one to two days. Females lay eggs on the upper leaf surfaces that hatch in about three to ten days.
How do I get rid of Hessian fly?
Foliar pyrethroid insecticides applied shortly after wheat emerges (at or before the two- to three-leaf stage) have been effective to manage Hessian fly. If applied at the right time, a pyrethroid will kill the adult flies and may also kill freshly hatched larvae before they become embedded behind the leaf sheaths.
What plants do Hessian flies form galls in?
Hessian fly, (Mayetiola destructor), small fly in the gall midge family, Cecidomyiidae (order Diptera), that is very destructive to wheat crops.