Flies that gather in roofs around windows and on walls inside in the autumn and winter are called cluster flies also known as attic flies.
Flies in attic uk.
The warmth generated here means that flies are naturally drawn into these cavities and voids particularly during the months of october and november where they congregate in groups or clusters.
Cluster flies are common in the loft and attic spaces of homes and business premises.
Light and dark gray checkered abdomens.
Cluster flies are commonly found in quiet undisturbed parts of your home such as attics and wall voids.
The thorax of an adult cluster fly is covered in short golden hairs and the wings overlap when at rest.
The grass flies or cluster flies or attic flies are the genus pollenia in the family polleniidae are completely harmless to human health.
Thus the common name they have of attic flies.
Cluster fly image licensed under cc.
If you seal cracks and crevices around windows under eaves fascia s and door frames this can help to prevent them entering.
By instinct they seek shelter away from the elements such as in the fall when it gets cold.
Unlike more familiar blow flies such as the bluebottle genus phormia they do not present a health hazard because they do not lay eggs in human food.
A large gathering of flies in your loft space attic or wall voids particularly in autumn is likely to be cluster flies.
Common cluster flies polleniarudis are large and black and look very similar to house flies so can easily be mistaken for them.
Naturally your house is warmer.
Adults measure 8 to 10 millimeters.
They are strictly parasitic on earthworms.
Appearance what do they look like.
The anomaly is that cluster flies may try to get into one house but may stay clear of a neighbouring house even if it is a pair of semi detached properties.
You may see a large group of cluster flies around a window as they are attracted to the light on sunny winter days.
Cluster or attic flies are the genus pollenia in the blowfly family calliphoridae.
Attic flies which are also known as cluster flies are insects that often migrate into homes in the fall where they hibernate for the cooler fall and winter months.
And the easiest entrance is usually through external gaps leading to your attic.
These are not the same as the blue bottles that buzz hard against the windows in the warmer weather or the house flies and smaller flies that are active in summer too.
Cluster flies are often known also as attic flies.
Cluster flies seek refuge in cold weather and find their way into attic spaces and similar areas indoors.
Most commonly they move from the ground to your attic for the winter when it gets cold.
Cluster flies then re emerge around late winter spring time when they can become a problem again.
Cluster flies also known as attic flies are household pests.
They require warm places to hibernate over winter.
Cluster fly larvae develop inside earthworms living in the ground outside of homes.