Cluster flies are a common problem in homes, especially during late summer or early autumn months when they enter buildings to hibernate. They typically huddle together in clusters, usually in attics, wall cavities, and other dark, sheltered areas. Cluster flies are harmless to humans, but their presence can be irritating and unsightly. Cluster flies tend to return each year to the same hibernation spot. If this happens to be in your home or business, then you’ll probably want to stop them from coming back. The good news is that there are several effective methods to stop cluster flies from returning and to deal with them if they have already returned.
The 2 best ways to stop cluster flies from returning
Seal up any entry points
The first step in preventing cluster flies from returning is to ensure that they cannot enter your home. Check for any gaps, cracks, or holes in your walls, windows, attic eves and around doors. Use sealant or caulk to fill the gaps or holes that you find. Any gap or crack as small as a pen’s diameter could be interpreted as a red-carpet invitation by cluster flies. By sealing up all cracks and gaps, it will help prevent cluster flies from entering your home in the future.
Sealing up entry points isn’t as simple as it sounds, especially if the flies are entering under garage doors, or attic eves. Sealing the entry points could involve quite a bit of effort, depending on the gap. That’s why it’s always a good idea to get professionals to come round to evaluate exactly where the likely entry points are. Merlin commercial pest control can do this for you for free, if you have cluster flies in your business and operate anywhere in the UK or Ireland. While we don’t do domestic pest control, or operate in other countries, there are plenty of domestic pest control companies that also free evaluations, which you can avail of. Just search for one near you.
Use disinfectant
Cluster flies return each year because they leave behind a scent at their hibernation spot. They then follow this scent back to their old hibernation spot each year when temperatures drop, usually around autumn time.
You can get rid of this scent by spraying or wiping down with strong disinfectant the flies’ hibernation spot, as well as all around all the entry points into the room where they were hibernating. Once the scent is gone they won’t easily be able to find their way back, but you need to be thorough in your approach to ensure that the scent is completely gone.
The 2 best ways to get rid of cluster flies that are already inside
Vacuum them
If you have discovered cluster flies in your house hibernating, you can just vacuum them up with a high-powered vacuum cleaner. Don’t worry, they aren’t sensitive to sound, and they won’t wake up once you switch the appliance on.
Once you’ve hoovered all the flies up, place the vacuum contents into a plastic bag, tie a firm knot in it and dispose of it outside immediately.
Spray them
Any standard fly killer spray will normally work on cluster flies. Just spray the insecticide on the cluster flies and instantly it should have the desired effect. Fly spray can be toxic to humans so always read the label and take care not to inhale any. If using fly spray indoors, you may want to open windows and doors before us to ensure sufficient ventilation.
Getting rid of cluster flies in a business
Contact Merlin commercial pest control if you want a fast, no-fuss solution to a cluster fly infestation in your business. We use unmarked vans so your staff and customers won’t be alarmed, and we can operate outside of your normal business hours so as to avoid any disruption to your work day.
Image source: Richard Bartz, Munich aka Makro Freak, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
