Tansy - Attracting flies?!

Hi, I have moved into a new house and have, what I have now identified, a big bush of tansy in my garden. I wanted to find out what it was because every time i brushed past it a huge swarm of little flies buzzed out of it! It's horrible. I was therefore really supprised to read endless articles about it being a deterent to flies. Could it be anything else? it looks just like the pictures. And does anyone else have problems with it attracting rather than repelling flies?
Many thanks
Helen

 

Hi Miffy

I grew tansy briefly while going through a "all herbs must be good to grow" phase. Then I discovered how invasive it can be!

Any plant that displays a tasty array of nectar e.g. buddleia, sedum spectabile, aruncus sylvestris, usually attracts a fair few flies as well. If you're sure what you've got is tansy, then I suspect its traditional reputation as a fly repellent is simply exaggerated. In fact, if plants want their flowers to be pollinated, the last thing they would want is to repell winged insects. Or maybe it's only some types of flies that are repelled?

 

Tansy is a flowering herbaceous plant not a shrub,are you sure you have the right i d post a picture.

 

In any case Tansy (and Solidago) both attract flies when they are in flower. If you look closely at them you will find all sorts of kinds though, from bluebottles to hover flies all feeding on the pollen. Better on the plants than in the house I say!