Clusterfly
can
be very troublesome in Autumn when they move into roof voids and also
in spring when they move out. Incredibly large numbers of cluster flies
can invade homes and professional help is nearly always needed. They
are often mistaken for house flies.
Clusterflies
have an unpleasant trick up their sleeves in that they
'taint' their winter quarters with a pheremone and once you get them
you tend to get them back every year.
The
clusterflies are
the genus Pollenia in the blowfly family
Calliphoridae. Unlike more familiar blowflies such as the bluebottle
genus Phormia, they do not present a health hazard
because they do not lay eggs in human food. They are strictly parasitic
on earthworms;
the females lay their eggs near earthworm burrows, and the larvae then
infest the worms. However, the flies are a nuisance because when the
adults emerge in the late summer or autumn they enter houses to
hibernate,
often in large numbers; they are difficult to eradicate because they
favour inaccessible spaces such as roof and wall cavities. They are
often seen on windows of little-used rooms. They are also sometimes
known as attic flies.
The
typical cluster fly Pollenia rudis is
about 7 mm long and can be recognised by distinct lines or stripes
behind the head, short golden-coloured hairs on the thorax, and
irregular light and dark gray areas on the abdomen.
Cluster
flies are
typically slow moving.Cluster fly have a widespread
distribution. Six species are found in Britain and thirty one in
Europe. Pollenia species are also and
numerous in Australia and New Zealand (over 30 spp); they are a common
pest in North America. P. rudis has spread widely
in association with humans.
0800
781 9329
0161 930 8814
Altrincham
and Sale Pest Control Clusterfly
Please not that in the
event of an abortive call out i.e customer not at home, pest
mis-identified by customer, bumblebees mistaken for wasps etc there
will be a £25.00 call out charge.
Customer MUST advise us over the phone if bats are known to be present
on the property.
