Narcissus root fly.

Just been clearing out a bed infested with Lysimachia Fire whatsit, a terrible thug. Had to dig out all the Daffs in the bed to clean it out. Discovered that a significant number of them had Narcissus root fly in them. So as a warning to anyone, if you have a lot of daffodil bulbs where the number in the clumps gets smaller over the years, then it may be worth digging up a clump and looking for any soft bulb with nothing growing from the tip. It may have new baby bulbs at the side, but it is the main one to look at. Cut the top off the bulb and inside you may well find a large maggot. This is the dreaded root fly. No cure for the amateur. All you can do is destroy the infected ones. The bee like insect lays its eggs on the hole left by the death of old leaves. So it is worth hoeing gently over the top of the bulbs when the leaves have almost completely withered so filling the hole and hopefully hiding the bulbs.

 

Thank you for the warning Palustrus.
It's something I haven't come across before.