Creepy fly issue

aliasojo

We've got a fly problem.

We never see them flying round the room(s) but every few hours there are loads of them lying dead on the windowsills (the kitchen being the worst) and several more on the actual window in the process of dying. I pick up at least 8 or 9 off the sill every few hours.

Why do we have so many, why are they heading for the window and why are they dying like this?

This has been going on for over a week. :eek:

aliasojo

We've been all over. There is nothing obvious and we're stumped as to where they are coming from.

McKneff

Ordinary flies ortiny little ones.

aliasojo

Ordinary flies, not the tiny ones.

McKneff

Can you smell anything anywhere at all. (so to speak lol)

Mouldy tatie under the fridge etc.

Butterscotch-

Drain flies, perhaps? We had them and all it took was a bit of drain cleaner down the bath. Google for more info and photos.

aliasojo

McKneff wrote: »

Can you smell anything anywhere at all. (so to speak lol)

Mouldy tatie under the fridge etc.

Nope. Kitchen is tiny and we've been all over it. Only thing I can think of is that there may be a small hole somewhere where they are getting in from outside. The house isn't in good nick and there are cracks in corners in other rooms so there may be holes behind cupboards etc that we cant see.

Other than that, I have no clue.

chrisw

Cluster flies perhaps, also known as attic flies? These tend to overwinter in warmer houses and attics in large numbers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_fly

Perhaps rather than coming in they're going out now the weather's warmer.

aliasojo

Butterscotch- wrote: »

Drain flies, perhaps? We had them and all it took was a bit of drain cleaner down the bath. Google for more info and photos.

Just read about these. This could fit as we have had loads of drain problems recently. The drains have collapsed and we had to get a company out to unblock them. Landlord is looking into costs of repairing.

The kitchen sink waste outlet goes through the wall and ends just at the drain cover (the end of the pipe is easily accessible).

Not sure the pictures of the flies look the same but it would certainly explain why there are so many at the kitchen window above the sink.

spannerzone

Last week or so we had a load of houseflies wake up in the loft and find their way into the rooms below, it happens every year.

They wake up and very dozy and so easy to whack! They seem to have all finished waking up now and problem has gone.... we get a couple dozen over the course of a few days every year.

bobthedambuilder

I'd say they were cluster flies as well. They can easily get into roof space, cavity walls, even extractor fan vents in large numbers and "hibernate" there in the winter. A warm spell or even the heating can stimulate them to wake and swarm, and find their way into the house (where it's warmer than outside). Most die within a very short time, which is why you find dead ones near the windows (trying to get out towards the source of light).

Unless you can find how they get into the spaces (difficult), your best bet is to try and see how they make their way into the affected rooms, and block that up. They will then find their way out the way they came in.

If you can find out where they're hibernating, a pest controller (council or private) should be able to spray kill them, but unless you can block the holes, they could be back next year.

We have seen them every year for the past 4 years in upstairs rooms, but I've finally got on top of blocking the possible entry points into the rooms (we've got lots of exposed beams etc). This has reduced the incidence greatly, so I presume they're now just going out in the spring/summer the way they got in in the autumn.