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Table of contents:
FLY INFESTATION? WHY IDENTIFICATION IS IMPORTANT
Flies inside a property can be irritating as we all know, but a serious infestation can be troubling and upsetting.
It doesn't matter what the flies are, a pest technician can knock them down pretty quickly with insecticide space treatments and this can provide some relief. But actually, in the long term, it does matter what the fly is.
Customer experiences severe infestation
The image below was part of a video sent to me by someone experiencing a severe infestation in her top floor apartment.
The lady had a friend who was going to identify the fly and was commendably proactive - the problem had been going on for six months. The small flies were all over the flat outside, but were seeping through cracks and crevices. She had put masking tape over cracks and the glue on the tape had caught hundreds of flies in lines. She has hired a decorator to visit and fill all cracks and caulk around windows to the extent possible. This won't necessarily solve the problem, but will certainly help.
Locate the source of the problem
However, it is the identification of the fly that will help to locate the source of the problem and provide the knowledge to deal with it. As of writing I hadn't visited the property and there weren't any good close ups of the offending creatures.
What could it be? As you can see from the image the flies are outside and the two floors of flats below don't have a problem. The first thought was cluster flies, but the lady described the flies as black and about 3mm - so too small for cluster flies. Size wise, the yellow swarming fly fits the description, but there was no yellow colouring.
Cluster and yellow swarming flies
One of my suppliers explains about cluster flies: "Complete control of cluster flies is almost impossible since the over wintering adults are concealed in walls, attics, etc. and often it is impossible to prevent them getting in. Very little of a 'permanent' nature can be done to prevent problems the following year."
So, if there was a positive ID of cluster or yellow swarming flies, the householder at least knows what to expect, even if it isn't very encouraging!
Fungus gnat and phorid fly
Two types of fly species that fitted the description for size and colour are the fungus gnat and phorid fly. The cause of presence is very different. The fungus gnat is attracted to moist, organically rich soil and an examination of house plants can explain the source. This is very different to the phorid fly where infestations can emanate from fruit, dirty rubbish containers, rotten vegetables or slime in drains.
So you can see that the source of cluster flies, fungus gnats and phorid flies is completely different and this shows the importance of identification. Many fly infestations are recurring and cyclical.
Here are some other examples of common fly invaders and how identification points to a different cause:
Mosquito
An issue with mosquitos will be caused by standing water somewhere. Breeding sites such as guttering, water butts and bird baths should be cleaned out regularly.
Blow Fly
Blow flies, such as blue and green bottles, found in unusually large numbers might mean a dead mouse, rat, squirrel, or bird, somewhere near the property or there is some rotting meat (not necessarily a large amount) somewhere near. They are often found on refuse tips, rotting animal matter, dirt and dustbins.
Fruit Fly
All fruit flies are associated with rotting fruit and vegetables or fermenting liquids. They also will breed in drains, refuse bins, empty bottles and cans, mops and cleaning cloths. Sometimes simply eliminating an overripe banana, fruit juices, empty sauce containers or dirty refuse bins will control these pests.
Conclusion
In this article we have considered a number of the common fly issues: cluster flies, yellow swarming flies, fungus gnats, phorid flies, mosquitoes, blow flies and fruit flies. There are 27,000 types of insect in the UK.
These flies invade a property for a variety of reasons, but identifying the insect will enable the property owner to understand and treat the cause of the problem.
Three Counties Pest Control provide fly control for homes and businesses in East Devon, West Dorset and South Somerset.
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