Cluster Fly Control

Cluster flies tend to breed predominantly throughout the summer months, as they thrive in warmer temperatures. Typically, they’ll lay eggs in the soil or grasslands – these eggs will produce larvae, which will parasite earthworms. The larvae will then pupate into adult cluster flies which will emerge from the soil or grasslands.

As the summer months end, autumn begins and the colder weather starts to set in, cluster flies will seek somewhere to hibernate. In some cases, this will mean taking up residence in dry sheltered areas such as hollow trees. However, they will most frequently look to migrate to attics and loft spaces. If you see cluster flies on the outside of a building basking in the sun and they seem to disappear of an evening they have most likely crawled into your roof space to seek a hibernation / over wintering site.

Once cluster flies have entered your home, they can also find their way into wall cladding, which ultimately makes them much more difficult to control and remove from your property.

Cluster flies also leave pheromones so they can return to a property year after year.

Cluster fly infestations are relatively easy to spot. The biggest signs are large quantities of dead or alive flies around your home – you’ll usually find these in south facing rooms which catch the sun all day. You may also notice dark spots of excrement around your home, which is a common sign of a cluster fly infestation.

It’s worth noting that dead cluster flies can also attract insects such as carpet or lader beetles, which just exacerbates the pest issues within your home.

The most common treatment to rid a property of cluster flies is fumigation. Whilst off the shelf DIY products offer a solution to do this yourself its rarely effective and an un-necessary cost, we’d always recommend using a professional pest control provider to do this. Materials commonly used for fumigation can be harmful to your respiratory system if not used correctly, and thus it is always safer to seek professional help. Over the counter fly sprays can have an effect on cluster flies if directly sprayed onto them, but these will not affect any flies that have found their way into cracks and crevices.

The added benefit of using a professional pest control service is peace of mind. For example, our team guarantees that infestations will be removed / brought to a manageable level, and that the risk of new infestations will be minimised.