Flies and Fly Control

Throughout Lancashire and Greater Manchester the pest controller has to deal with many fly species in many different situations. A brief summary of the fly control measures I undertake-

• UV electric fly/insect killers, supplied fitted and serviced in commercial properties throughout our area. UV fly killing units can also be supplied via post to the rest of the country.
• Domestic fly control. This includes surveying fly infestations and supply of suitable solutions.
• Cluster flies in commercial/domestic properties.
• Fly control in agricultural situations.

CLUSTER FLIES.

The cluster fly GENUS- POLLENIA, also known as attic flies. They can be up to 10mm long and as their name suggests will congregate in clusters often in attics or wall cavities. They are quite distinctive, they are grey will grey/olive stripes.

The female lays eggs in damp earth often in areas of leaves and leaf litter. Some cluster flies are parasitic to earth worms, the larve of those species will bore through the body of the worm, this of course makes them more common in some rural areas and in areas where suitable habitat exists. After the earthworm has died the larvae bore out and pupate in the earth and leaf litter, the adults later feeding on nectar.

Cluster flies are not, for the biggest part of the year, of any nuisance value at all, indeed when they do become a nuisance that is all they are they are never a threat to human health.

 Cluster Fly….. up-date –

We have recently been trailing a number of new cluster fly traps.  We have found that as many people convert their loft spaces into extra bedrooms Cluster Fly infestations  that would once have remained un-noticed are becoming more of a problem. The flies return to houses that they have always visited and begin to cause concerns as they gather in numbers on peoples windows.

This is where the Cluster Fly traps come into play. They are sited in the window with the entrance slot at just the right angle to capture the flying nuisance as it makes its way around the window. As Cluster flies leave a pheromone trail to lure in other flies, the traps become self attracting, hopefully breaking the yearly cycle of re-infestation.

Seasonal Flies

As the summer comes to an end the flies begin to look for somewhere to hibernate and begin to gather together in clusters, this is when they may enter homes and roof spaces. You may notice them in windows or rooms, these flies that do emerge from the cluster will often be dopey and inactive. It is quite strange why cluster flies will use certain areas to gather, often these areas will present problems year after year even though identical areas are available nearby. There is no reason noticeable for this and it is nothing to do with the cleanliness of the property.

For any insect pest control problems including free no obligation advice and quotes throughout Greater Manchester, Bolton, Preston and Blackburn simply give me, Ian Smith, a call on 07821 318954.