A Plague of Flies

darrenheaphy

Protector C eh? I'll have to check that out. Did you spray outside on the tiles around the window or onto the frame itself?

PcAngel

MrThrifty wrote: »

I just sprayed the velux catchment areas in our house this year with Protector C every few weeks from the start of August and either that or the weather conditions this year seem to have done the job. Note that we had an extremely overgrown garden last year and from research I've done, that could well have contributed to the problem as apparently the adult flies don't travel more than 100-200m from the larvae location to the hibernation point. Also, it's my suspicion now that once a fly or two start hibernating in an area, then other flies are attracted to the same place.

Where did you get Protector C?

PureBred

Have same prob, not as bad as last year though. Would be interested in this product too.

MrThrifty

Sorry, held off mentioning the name of the company I got the stuff from earlier just in case I put other people/companies out. It was actually a UK company as I found they are much more aware of and on top of the cluster fly problem over there. Even some of the councils have info on their websites on cluster flies!

Anyway, the company in question was http://www.hygienesuppliesdirect.com/th/cluster_flies. However, the shipping charge was a bit steep but I think it's because the stuff has to be shipped with a courier due to it's chemical content. For example, it's listed on Amazon but they won't ship to Ireland. The cluster fly blitz kits out there will also do the job. An Irish website I just found offers these -> http://www.lambertspestcontrol.ie/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&category_id=19&product_id=96&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=71.

Note that the Protector C stuff is 'natural' in that its main ingredient is derived from some plant but it seems to be the main residual insecticide used for controlling cluster flies. There seem to be generic take-off's of it out there too, all with a 'C' in the name.

In terms of its application, it isn't rainproof (probably like most insecticides) and so can only be used indoors or in sheltered/sealed locations. It doesn't stain or mark so there's no problem if it drips on curtains or carpets etc. I spray the velux frame at the top and bottom where the flies tend to shelter and also the top part of the moving window around the lock. The flies mainly shelter and hibernate under the stiff rubber sealing strip at the top part of the frame, even if they don't always fall out when you open the window.

It's also worth spraying around general window openings between the inside and outside rubber seals if flies have hung out here in the past. Usually it'll just be windows on the sunny sides of the house (south and west) that you have to worry about. Finally, a few squirts into the attic area every now and then might be useful just to kill off any that got in under the roof tiles.

Bear in mind that despite some statements to the contrary out there, the stuff only lasts for a few weeks so respraying is necessary until the cold weather really hits. You'll still also find that the occasional fly drops out when you open a velux window but this time they'll probably be alone and dead, REALLY dead. Also, any flies that do happen to get in to your house through an open window will generally be found dead on window sills a day or two later - I presume they sample the insecticide on the way in.

Good luck with it!

beyondpassive

It helps if you can eliminate standing water around the house. Cluster flies dislike basil and mint plants for some reason, I thought they fed off something in timber but apparently their larvae are parasites which live off earthworms. uhh!

I was asked to investigate a cluster fly infestation in a group of executive houses in Dublin and the problem seemed to be in the rooflights. This was an unusual request as I am not an exterminator, but have thermography and blower door equipement for occasional energy auditing. using a pressure test we found and sealed about 40 holes in the attic rooms. the biggest problem seemed to be the myriad of recesses in the rooflight and flashings, especially around the vent. We released insectacide smoke (which the builder had) into the window frames over a period of about 10 minutes, and pushed out by positive pressure from the fans. Nasty stuff but the smoke left a residue which would prevent the fly from overwintering in the window recesses. We've since been back to do two neighbouring properties. The builder spoke to a permaculture expert who suggested planting certain plants which would attract the cluster fly's natural predator, whatever that is.

jaytobe

Mike2006 wrote: »

Right,

Kicked off the process over the weekend.
Firstly, I just did a google search for the products online....

Used the fogger over the weekend. I vacuumed the attic space first to get rid of the 100 or so dead cluster flies that were already dead on the ground due to my daily spraying of 'raid'... I just did this so that I could see how many the fogger killed.

It seemed like there were none in the attic space as I couldn't hear their buzz.. Anyway, released the fogger and got out of the attic.
Went back up next morning and there were over a hundred dead flies on thr ground again... So the fogger works...
I am going to put the 'deterrent' spray up in the attic tonight and monitor that over the next few weeks to see how it works..

Mike.

Mike and others....has anybody solved the problem fully. Got hundreds...new build, 2 velux. getting at air vents will be a nightmare...

MrThrifty

You basically need to seal or fly-screen all entry points (attic vents etc.)...

learnerplates

Same issue here.
I think they're waking up now with the bit of heat, we've had no cold so nothing killed them.

There are hundreds in the attic, only 2 or 3 on the windows so far.

What's the recommendation for attic and then the windows and house interior?


I reckon I need to take action this week as its promised nice weather.

jimf

learnerplates wrote: »

Same issue here.
I think they're waking up now with the bit of heat, we've had no cold so nothing killed them.

There are hundreds in the attic, only 2 or 3 on the windows so far.

What's the recommendation for attic and then the windows and house interior?


I reckon I need to take action this week as its promised nice weather.

have a read here http://www.ehow.com/list_7613523_oil-lavender-uses-flies.html

foxy farmer

I've spent a lot of time in attics but it's only lately I've seen these flies. The common denominator in my opinion is modern houses with the Protect membrane under the slates/ tiles. Older houses with bitumen based roofing felt don't seem to have any swarm of flies. My own attic has 2 velux windows and they collect around them from sept on. A cousin has them too. Go into the attic rattle the felt and its like a swarm of bees up there. Rotten bloody things.

r3nu4l

foxy farmer wrote: »

I've spent a lot of time in attics but it's only lately I've seen these flies. The common denominator in my opinion is modern houses with the Protect membrane under the slates/ tiles. Older houses with bitumen based roofing felt don't seem to have any swarm of flies. My own attic has 2 velux windows and they collect around them from sept on. A cousin has them too. Go into the attic rattle the felt and its like a swarm of bees up there. Rotten bloody things.

My house is a 1930's build with no protect membrane or Velux windows...

Cluster flies can be found in all sorts of properties.

learnerplates

Would multiple fly killer aerosols do the job either?

I just tried a Rentokill aerosol, 3euro, in the a garden shed (there are some cluster flies in between the timbers), I let the full can go (tied an elastic around the trigger and left it in). I could hear the buggers squirming.

Do you think multiple aerosols would do for an attic?

Ciara_Long

Hi everyone, I know this thread died last year, but I'm hoping to bring it back to life for some more advice now!!! I bought my house last christmas and into the first few months out came the flies. Last year we smoke bombed the attic but of course they all came back this year. We fogged out the attic a few weeks ago, but there are still a few flies coming in through the landing and the velux windows in one of the spare bedrooms. I think there was around 15 dead in the space of a week after fogging and spraying down all the windows. They are all dead once they come in. I've heard stories about how this cycle will just continue to repeat itself every year. I've read the thread and there are some great ideas which I will certainly try. If anyone has some more advice .... please help!!!! We are considering calling in a professional company to help deal with the problem but I'm afraid that this will just a few hundred euro and the problem will still be here next year . . . any advice or help would be great

darrenheaphy

Ciara_Long wrote: »

Hi everyone, I know this thread died last year, but I'm hoping to bring it back to life for some more advice now!!! I bought my house last christmas and into the first few months out came the flies. Last year we smoke bombed the attic but of course they all came back this year. We fogged out the attic a few weeks ago, but there are still a few flies coming in through the landing and the velux windows in one of the spare bedrooms. I think there was around 15 dead in the space of a week after fogging and spraying down all the windows. They are all dead once they come in. I've heard stories about how this cycle will just continue to repeat itself every year. I've read the thread and there are some great ideas which I will certainly try. If anyone has some more advice .... please help!!!! We are considering calling in a professionial company to help deal with the problem but I'm afraid that this will just a few hundred euro and the problem will still be here next year . . . any advice or help would be great

We didn't do anything in the end, they concentrate around the velux windows so in the last few months they spill out of one opens the window. They don't appear to reside in the actual waves. Now that summer is back they go away again!

n1st

We still have some in the velux windows too, they awoke last week. numbers are well down though.
I think there'll always be a few laying dormant in the nooks and crannies which will awake in Spring.

Thisonedone

Has anyone tried putting basil or mint plants in the attic, if so did that get rid of them?

Grogsy

OK, after reading this and a few online articles, we definitely have a cluster fly infestation here. It's the right timing of the year too and especially bad around our velux windows. Today it's like a horror movie when you open one.

One thing though, we've also started noticing a lot of little (mainly) black spots showing up randomly on our kitchen cupboards, countertops, window sills, blinds, and even around the washing machine. I've never seen anything like it before, and when you look online, it seems it's probably insect/spider droppings. They're easy to remove, so far, though not from everything. Anyone else come across this? Our house is about 10 yrs old and we've been living in it for 6. We never really used the upstairs rooms until this year so we never put 2 & 2 together about the infestation. But it has to be the flies that are making the black spots, right?

looksee

Yes, its fly - er - droppings. If you wipe them up with a damp tissue you will see they are actually brown. Just keep cleaning and concentrate on getting rid of the flies.

greek88

literally googled flies around velux and was drawn here.

We have a new build moved in only 8 weeks ago but flies are around only 2 of our velux upstairs in one bedroom only. the other bedrooms to be fair arnt bad at all the odd fly. I thaught it was the way that velux in the affected bedroom was installed maybe?We have a hatch to the attic but its well sealed from what i can see.

Do ye think my problem could be arising from the attic so and not flies entering through the vent (maybe) in the velux?
We do keep our windows open by day (nothing like fresh air in the house) but if the flies were entering by day when the windows are open i presume we would notice flies all over all our velux upstairs we have 10 but just seems to be in one particular bedroom like i said before.

any help greatly appreciated.

looksee

Flies seem to get between the inner and outer frame of our double glazed windows - if you open a window there will be a few - sometimes a lot - that mostly fly away outside. There doesn't seem to be space for them, and I have no idea how they get into the room when the windows are not opened - they are new windows and well sealed.

I found a whole lot of them in one window recently and sprayed them, and subsequently swept up the bodies. Several hours later there were more of them, dead, on the same window ledge - not any of the others. Where had they come from? How were they dead? Its hard enough to kill them with a copious dose of fresh spray, surely the spray had not remained long enough to get the next wave to come in the window? And how small a space can they get through, the windows are well sealed.

Grogsy

God they're a total curse. We have a house by us built by the same builder at the same time, and they don't have this issue. The only difference we can figure so far is that they use their upstairs and open their Velux windows a lot. It seems to be that if you keep your windows closed, they get trapped in the window frames. They then die or manage to escape. But if you open the window, they fly out of the frames en masse. Gives me the horrors.

looksee

I started an experiment to see if I sprayed the internal cavity of the window (the 'thickness' of the window) with fly spray would it deter them from settling there. It may have been a bit successful but the season finished and the numbers at the moment are very hit and miss. There are always a few flies on some window ledges to clean up but its not predictable enough to prove anything.

I will try it again if the problem continues next summer. I suppose one of the essential oils that discourages flies might work too. I wonder if there is anything in any of these that might eventually affect the paint finish inside the frame.

greek88

when ye talk flies are ye talking loads? my other rooms there might be 5 or so in them, but the other bedroom it was cleaned yesterday morning and last night there were 10-15, mostly dead again. we get rid of 70+ fies per week in that room alone . I cant see why that room is being affected more that the other ones. we have all the velux sealed with air tightness tape, so unless they are coming in elsewhere i dont know about and are drawn to that particular room by something, i dont know. Just annoying more than anything.

Grogsy

Yes, mainly loads. When they all start flying around after you open a window, I have to admit, I haven't stopped to count. I'm outta there.
And plenty of dead ones too. I haven't checked yet this year, I'm afraid to, to be honest.

Car99

Grogsy wrote: »

Yes, mainly loads. When they all start flying around after you open a window, I have to admit, I haven't stopped to count. I'm outta there.
And plenty of dead ones too. I haven't checked yet this year, I'm afraid to, to be honest.

They are cluster flies , dopey things . We have them for the 13 years since we built our house. You can bomb them but they still come back if you live in a rural area mostly. The lay their eggs in the eaves / attic. A nuisance they are. They never make it out of the attic though and only time we really see them is when you open a velux. Open it every day and hoover them up with the dyson.

greek88

ok my experiance doesnt seem as bad as yours now. i cant say its a swarm but there are a lot hanging around the velux and dead on the floor. must check the attic properly so for them and their eggs.

looksee

They always seem to go for the same south facing windows though. You get the odd one in some of the other windows but opening some of the south windows, or even the door which is open and closed a lot, and there can be a load of flies - from 20 or so to a swarm in the summer.

darrenheaphy

Car99 wrote: »

They are cluster flies , dopey things . We have them for the 13 years since we built our house. You can bomb them but they still come back if you live in a rural area mostly. The lay their eggs in the eaves / attic. A nuisance they are. They never make it out of the attic though and only time we really see them is when you open a velux. Open it every day and hoover them up with the dyson.

Yeah, that's my experience too. Sometimes I could open one of the Velux windows and 70+ could be there. But they stay confined to the attic/eaves. I remember once walking round the eaves and came across a basketball mass of them clustered against the roof! They started to move as soon as the torch was on them!

Cian59

So recently renovated a house and the last few days, there's been about 100 flies or so appearing downstairs around the windows in bathroom or kitchen.

I got a photo of one so not sure if it's cluster flies. What's confusing me is that they are mostly downstairs and nothing upstairs in the rooms below the attic. It also doesn't appear to be the season for them.

Grogsy

I don't think that's a cluster fly. Not like we had in our house anyway. For me, cluster flies look very like normal flies. And now is definitely the season for cluster flies, think it starts earlier even.

This year we regularly open our Velux windows and it really seems to help. We're not seeing hoards of flies any more. We gave the window frames a good clean late last year, and just keep opening the windows. I think we've gotten rid of them finally.