Cluster Fly Control

Cluster flies, which are also known as attic flies, can be a nuisance if they choose your home or business premises for their winter hibernation.

If you have a problem with them in your home or business and are in London or the South East, then get in touch with us.

We are a friendly and efficient pest control service operating since 1975.

What Does a Cluster Fly Look Like?

There are eight species of cluster fly in the UK but they are frequently found together in swarms of more than one species.

The cluster fly is slightly larger than the housefly and flies more slowly. Its abdomen is coloured in light and dark grey patches and there are golden hairs on the thorax.

The Cluster Fly Life Cycle

The cluster fly is a parasite of the earthworm and has a complicated life cycle. Cluster flies tend to be found in rural and semi-rural areas, living outside during spring and summer and feeding on nectar. In the summer, the female cluster fly lays eggs singly in damp soil or in piles of rotting leaves near earthworm habitats.

These hatch in a few days and the larvae find their way to an earthworm, crawl inside and feed on it. A few days later they emerge and shortly after enter the pupae stage.

There are often two generations of cluster flies in a season, though in a hot summer there may be three or even four.
The cluster flies thrive in the warmth but in late autumn the adult fly finds space in a building to hibernate.

The flies congregate, or cluster, on the sunny side of a building and crawl inside, hibernating in a place such as the attic, roof space, loft or outbuildings. When the first warm days of spring arrive, the flies will congregate on the windows, looking for a way out.

If you have a problem with cluster flies then call a professional pest controller to help you.
Call us on: 0800 158 3885 or send us a quick message through our Quick Contact Form.

The Problem with Cluster Flies

Cluster flies do not pose a health risk to humans.

However, if they hibernate in a house or other occupied building, they are a serious nuisance to the inhabitants during the winter when they are in hibernation and also in autumn and spring when they arrive and leave in a massive swarm.

Because they are likely to return, it is important that steps are taken to resolve the problem.

Signs of a Cluster Fly Infestation

It is fairly obvious when there is an infestation.

A swarm of flies will hover around the ceiling of their chosen space, especially if there is lighting giving off warmth.

The cluster fly gives off a sickly smell of pheromones which attracts other flies to the hibernation spot.

Cluster flies can be a problem in a home but also in commercial buildings and schools.

Once a swarm has hibernated in a particular place, there is every likelihood that more cluster flies will gather to hibernate in the same place the following year.

Therefore it is important to take steps early to deal with this infestation.

If you are still experiencing cluster fly control problems then call a pest control professional to help you today on: 0800 158 3885 or fill in our Quick Contact Form.