Cluster Flies - Control & Behaviour - Facts and FAQ's
As Heard on BBC Radio Bristol
What Are Cluster Flies?
The UK is home to a reported eight species of cluster fly and The Four most common species in and around Clevedon Include:
The Common Cluster Fly - Pollenia rudis
: Olive grey with golden hairs on the abdomen.
The Autumn or Face Fly - Musca autumalis
: Like a house fly but with a yellow/orange abdomen.
The Green Cluster Fly - Dasyhora caynella
: Again like a house fly but shiny green/blue in colour.
The Yellow Swarming Fly - Thaumatomya notata
: A small fly a little like a fruit fly but with dark eyes.
The Common Cluster fly belongs to a family of flies called Pollenia and is a medium sized, nuisance fly about 10mm in length, greyish olive in colour and adorned with golden hairs which makes them quite distinctive to the trained eye. They are also more sluggish in nature than other flies of the same size like blow flies. They get the name cluster fly from their characteristic behaviour congregating in groups of hundreds and even thousands in lofts, crawl spaces and window frames but are also referred to as pasture flies, field flies and attic flies.
What Diseases Do Cluster Flies Carry?
Cluster flies have no recognised importance as carriers of disease so are not a significant pathogenic risk in most situations, and should be viewed only as an unsightly nuisance and not as a sign of poor hygiene. What is important to think about is that cluster flies will hibernate with other flies, possibly attracted by the smell created by large populations that are important carriers of human diseases like the blow flies found on faeces and rotting carrion.
Where Do Cluster Flies Come From?
Cluster Flies begin life as an egg, laid by the female during the warmer months of the year in the burrows of earthworms. Once the larvae hatch they follow the burrow until they find the worm and enter its body were they become parasites until mature, when they leave the worm to pupate. The size of cluster fly populations is very much dependant on climate and it has been asserted that the warmer the summer and autumn the greater the overwintering populations will be. This is bad news in terms of numbers, but good news in the sense you can plan to have the flies controlled in advance and take steps towards that end.
Being parasites of earth worms they are most abundant in areas with lots of grass land around especially gazing land. They are also attracted to white and light painted surfaces especially those that are south and west facing where they can bask in the sun. This creates swarms of flies in some areas causing homeowners to change the colour of their homes to more subdued tones.
Once they have mated and the outdoor temperature begins to fall in the autumn the flies seek refuge inside buildings, under bark and in the hollows of trees etc.
Do Cluster Flies Cause Damage?
No - not unless they are present in significant numbers. The problem facing most people who live in areas with plenty of open grassland is that their homes offer these little parasites the ideal environment to overwinter. Cluster flies like to enter window frames especially casement and sash windows where they leave significant deposits of fluid and faecal residues with an offensive sickly smell. Cluster flies also like to hibernate in the warmth and shelter of our lofts and the growing popularity of ceiling halogen lights means that large numbers of flies can collect around the light fittings and potentially create a fire risk. UPVC windows are also affected so modern windows are just as much affected in many cases.
How To Treat A Cluster Fly Infestation In My Loft.
Cluster flies are common in the loft and attic spaces of your home and business premises. The warmth generated in these areas of the property mean that during the months of October and November flies are naturally drawn into these cavities and voids where they congregate in groups or clusters. Cluster fly activity is often only seen when people like yourself go up to collect the Christmas decorations or camp beds etc. You will first notice a very sickly and rich smell and then at first a few flies attracted to the light source you are using. Don't make the mistake of disturbing them if you have not dealt with these insects before. It is not uncommon to find tens of thousands of flies in the lofts of secluded properties and they will very often swarm you a little like a horror movie, especially if you start spraying them with a tiny can of supermarket strength fly spray.
So fly sprays can have some effect but in most cases your only other non-professional option is the use of an industrial electronic fly killing unit with a specially adapted collection tray or plastic sack these will set you back many hundreds of pounds, but if you use a cheap one that's not designed for heavy use in confined spaces it may set your house on fire. Fumigation is normally the very best form of rapid control, the challenge is always to try and time this so you kill as many flies as possible. Do it too early and you will need to re-treat a couple of weeks later to kill the final wave of overwintering flies. So late October and November are best, unless you need control more quickly.
How To Control Cluster flies in Windows.
Cluster Flies in windows are very, very common. You will often find that these often, rather plump flies are quite amazingly able to get into some of the tiniest gaps imaginable. Common places you are more likely to find the flies are the internal weight cavities or shafts of sash windows and the Internal frame cavities of double glazed units. What you will likely see is a dark brown speckled covering of fly faeces where the windows close tight into the frame. The best way to tackle this is to spray a lacquer based insecticide or spray into the cavities of the windows and wipe oil based persistent insecticide products around the window pane perimeters to knock down as many flies as possible that land on them.
You often first notice these flies when you open a window after October or in the spring you notice flies emerging into your home instead of your garden. These flies are not described as being important carriers of disease, however they do defecate a lot and cause unsightly and filthy faecal staining on widows and window frames.
How Can We Get Rid Of Cluster Flies?
Proofing contaminated areas is of little use, as in most situations they will be able to find a hole large enough to fit through somewhere on your property. Another reason they are able to enter properties is simply because your property requires ventilation to breath and without sufficient air flow mould and rot can set in. Another phenomenon is that it is believed aggregation pheromones and other chemicals are responsible for the clustering behaviour. What is interesting and is in common with other insects like wasps is that the flies tend to be a little selective on the properties they infest. It seems that once you have a problem with these flies they will keep coming back year after year and in greater numbers than adjoining or near by properties of the same or similar age. Before you have any treatment carried out it is important that you assess an affected space for bats as it is illegal to disturb or kill them.
What Does A Cluster Fly Treatment Cost?
Being experts in insect control means our services are faster, more thorough and more flexible than many other providers. We are usually on site within hours or even faster if it is an emergency. Our Services start at just £39.00.
How Quickly Can You Get To Us?
Our standard, same day Pest Control Service for Cluster Fly Control is always available, and for extra peace of mind our 24 Hour Emergency Pest Control Service operates 24/7 so help is never far away.
How Do We Book Cluster Fly Pest Control?
Simply Call 01275 858888
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Pest Control Advice:
Getting rid of Cluster Flies and other insects like ants, fleas and bedbugs is not as simple as many pesticide manufacturers will lead you to believe. The chemicals or poisons on offer in supermarkets and shops often have a fraction of the effect that is achieved through professional products and this means you are likely to get through many cans of treatment without actually achieving full control. As the only Clevedon pest control company offering a dedicated insect control service we are able to deliver pest control treatments that are often guaranteed to work.
Pest control is all about understanding the pest you are trying to eliminate or prevent. The Wasp for example creates a wasp nest early in the year so if you wanted to control wasps in falmouth you would probably guess that checking for a new wasp nest in your loft in April and May would allow you to remove a wasp nest safely before it became too large. By understanding your pest, you are able to plan control in advance, before infestation occurs and the cost of elimination becomes high.
WaspKill UK are here to help - so why not give us a call and put your trust in the experts.
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