Can anyone identify these flies?

Crochet

There are hundreds and thousands of these things around my back garden and I'm afraid they will get into the house. Can anyone identify what they are?

BargainHunter

If you put up bird boxes and bat boxes around your house, then next year the bird population will increase and eat all those insects and flies.

Swallows, swifts, house martins etc will hoover up hundreds of flies a day. Give them somewhere to nest and you wont have a problem.

swifts need our help!

St. Mark's fly

Mark

bing3

I agree but isn't it a bit late in the year for them?

marlin vs

BargainHunter wrote: »

If you put up bird boxes and bat boxes around your house, then next year the bird population will increase and eat all those insects and flies.Swallows, swifts, house martins etc will hoover up hundreds of flies a day. Give them somewhere to nest and you wont have a problem.

Can anyone identify what they are? Was the question!

Which swifts need our help actually answered.

Velvet shank

not an expert, but looks more like Fever Fly - Dilophus febrilis

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Hard to tell when the photo is close to being silhouette only but definitely not St Mark's. The head shape is all wrong and it is much too late for them. What size are they? Fever flies are 1/4 of an inch with transparent wings.

Crochet

Hi Guys - thanks for the answers, I always find it amazing how much knowledge and information is out there.

I googled the St Mark fly and I believe that is more than likely what they are.

I have a load of pics but none of them are much better, sorry, might put them up later anyway.

I'm off to the shop now to by some boxes of swifts or swift boxes - which ever is cheaper.

;-)

swifts need our help!

Swift box

Mark
N Ireland