What's That?: The Scary but Helpful Midas Fly

I have worked hard to make my garden a safe place for a variety of pollinators but I never expected these guys to make themselves at home by buzzing at me onimously while I’m checking my veggie patch. After running off several times in fear I decided to do some research on how much damage these giant waspy looking bugs could do to me. What I discovered is that while they love to make themselves seem dangerous to ward off predators, they are completely harmless and not wasps or bees at all. They are midas flies and yes, they are just really big, stingerless flies.

The good news is that they in addition to being harmless to humans they are also useful in the garden as pollinators and pest eliminators.