Attic Flies Uk

They are strictly parasitic on earthworms.

Attic flies uk.

You may see a large group of cluster flies around a window as they are attracted to the light on sunny winter days. Cluster fly larvae develop inside earthworms living in the ground outside of homes. Naturally your house is warmer. Thus the common name they have of attic flies.

Cluster fly image licensed under cc. By instinct they seek shelter away from the elements such as in the fall when it gets cold. And the easiest entrance is usually through external gaps leading to your attic. They are known to give off a sickly odour and they also have a big effect on earthworms around your home.

The females lay their eggs near earthworm burrows and the larvae then feed on the worms. Most commonly they move from the ground to your attic for the winter when it gets cold. Cluster flies facts identification control latin name. Cluster flies are often known also as attic flies.

Adults measure 8 to 10 millimeters. 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. They require warm places to hibernate over winter. Cluster flies then re emerge around late winter spring time when they can become a problem again.

Light and dark gray checkered abdomens. Appearance what do they look like. 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. Cluster flies belong to a family of flies called pollenia and are medium sized about 10mm in length.

Cluster flies also known as attic flies are household pests. Cluster flies habits mean that they are no real risk to human health like most common flies but they are a nuisance. The thorax of an adult cluster fly is covered in short golden hairs and the wings overlap when at rest. 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.

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. Cluster or attic flies are the genus pollenia in the blowfly family calliphoridae. Cluster flies are commonly found in quiet undisturbed parts of your home such as attics and wall voids. Cluster flies aka attic flies get their name from clustering together in large numbers over the winter months.