Cluster Flies in house... Ahhhh!

[abillybob]

Hi All

 

So we've had a lot of problems as some of you know, we're buying this recently converted barn and so far have had all sorts of legal problems with the documentation. We have finally got to the point 6 months on where we can exchange and we have sorted it all out from a legal point of view.

 

We went back and visited the barn yesterday and found 2 issues, one was that there was damp showing near the front door of the property (but this can be fixed) and the other was cluster flies, thousands of them. A lot of them had died in the upstairs bedrooms but I went to investigate in the loft and there was thousands of the things... Makes my skin crawl just thinking about them now!!!

 

Me and my OH are very worried this could become a huge problem and are unsure whether or not to go ahead with the purchase. We have contacted the seller directly and listed some of these issues but he hasn't bothered getting back to us as usual.

 

We were wondering if we should really be this worried, is there a simple tried and tested way to get rid of them and keep them out? We've looked at fumigation from products that apparently initially kill them and send them running away and then using an automatic dispenser to prevent them coming in like this one but we're unsure to how well these work and if they are at all effective?

 

We're really gutted and upset about the whole thing and hopefully you guys can give us some guidance!? We know there are people on here who are country bumpkins and may have had this problem also!!

 

We are going up to have a chat with the neighbours today and see if they have experienced the same sort of issues and if so ask them what they have done.

 

Thank you everyone!!

 

Here are some pictures, they don't do it justice as there was a lot more in the loft than the photos can show!!

 

Here, Here and Here

[elsiegee40]

If you read up on them, they're not a health threat. They lay their eggs in earthworms and come indoors to hibernate - usually into little disturbed spaces like roof voids.

 

http://www.dialapest.co.uk/Data%20Sheets/Cluster%20Flies.html

 

The above link suggests that caution needs to be exercised as bats frequently choose to roost/hibernate in the same spaces as the flies. If there are bats you can't use insecticides.

 

I suspect your insurance won't pay out if you pull out because of the flies.

 

Personally I'd work on sealing things so they can't get into the bedroom and put up with them in the roof.

[CAM]

Sounds like they visit with their mates, stay over for the winter and buzz off back to the fields in spring. Harmless and no threat to you or the house. Welcome to the countryside, I'll gladly swap them for my resident mosquitos (and the smear marks on the wall).

[Joanne]

Urgh! Well we once had massive bluebottles that would appear in our porch. That was from a rat dying in the cavity between the houses and then maggots feasting on carcass and flies finding an escape route! That was grim when you would open the front door and be greeted with 20 blue bottles... but your photos made me cringe big time.

 

As others have said it is something you can deal with easily. Expanding foam is your friend!

[woodham]

roof spaces need to breath

 

please dont seal it all up youll end up with mold / rott problems if you do

[elsiegee40]

roof spaces need to breath

 

please dont seal it all up youll end up with mold / rott problems if you do

 

Agreed. Don't seal the roof! I only said to seal the gaps that they use to enter the bedroom.

[3s-gtech]

Agreed with above. Roof voids will always end up with critters in them - flies, spiders, sometimes bats. It's about treating them as an intermediate space rather than part of the inside of the house (unless you have a 'warm roof', which you shouldn't). Sealed up properly from your living space, with insulation between, should mean that you have a happy coexistence with your various 'housemates'. You may need to avoid things like downlighters through the boards (the heat will be a big draw) and make sure that anything like extractor vents are sealed well. There may be a minimum level of insulation on the floor of your loft - more can help. Don't try blocking any ventilation into the roof void - condensation rises from the living space into here and if it can't vent it will rot the timbers, spoil the ceilings and basically cause damage.

[Joanne]

Liberate all spiders into the roof cavity.

 

Imagine how big they would get with all that to eat!!!

[achedgy]

We get cluster flies, but much less after changing the windows to pvc rather than the wood that they used to be. Plus painting the house a darker colour seemed to help immensely (they like white apparently) A couple of years when they really bad, we used smoke bombs, killed vast majority of them, then just vacuumed them up. Have just gone up with a vacuum a few times and got as many as possible, anything to reduce the numbers. The more you kill, the less will come back next year it seems

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

The spiders seem to ignore them, got plenty of those too

[john]

We get cluster flies, but much less after changing the windows to pvc rather than the wood that they used to be. Plus painting the house a darker colour seemed to help immensely (they like white apparently) A couple of years when they really bad, we used smoke bombs, killed vast majority of them, then just vacuumed them up. Have just gone up with a vacuum a few times and got as many as possible, anything to reduce the numbers. The more you kill, the less will come back next year it seems

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

The spiders seem to ignore them, got plenty of those too

 

That is just what my mum does, she hates the attic when its full of them, we have an automated fly insecticide that goes off every 90 minutes and it works wonders at keeping them down and then a few times go up with the hoover and suck them all up.

 

You get used to them however, as others have said sealing where the bedroom is getting into it will help, things like the holes for cables to come through for lights is one good spot they creep through that can be hidden under the ceiling rose are worth checking.

[abillybob]

Our problem is that we where going to try and use the loft for Christmas decorations and things like that and we don't want to really go up into the loft with thousands of flies congregating in boxes and things. @ Joanne I have looked into the expanding foam thing which looks good.

 

We have contacted the seller and he's been very helpful to be fair, he's going to send out pest control and if he can get it guaranteed so if it's to happen again they come out for free, he is also going to ask the builders to seal up as much as the roof and house as possible! We're hoping this will stop the majority of them, we know we can't completely seal the roof but we can do a big portion of it.

 

Would this kind of problem deter any of you from buying the house, or do you think we're just being over the top? We're seriously contemplating whether or not to buy it at all now! It's so frustrating as we're literally so close to completing and now this has happened! Good it happened before exchanging though I suppose!

 

We're not to bothered about the insurance not paying out now as it expired around a month ago anyway as they only cover you for 4 months - it's been ongoing for 6!

[elsiegee40]

The roof space will have been designed with the correct amount of ventilation. Sealing it, even slightly, is likely to result in condensation problems and also not deter the flies.

 

If you want to store stuff up there, put it in sealed bags or boxes. It will be far more effective than thinking that sealing only some of the gaps will keep them out.

 

Yes, I do think you're over-reacting. If you live in the countryside, you have to get used to sharing your life with the local wildlife. You will end up using mouse-traps and dealing with wasps nests and coping with rabbits or moles.

 

No, I don't think any pest control company will guarantee that they won't return.

 

Buy the house and use sealed boxes and bags for what's in the roof.

Edited October 3, 2016 by elsiegee40

[Joanne]

Yeah I'd still buy it. It's the perfect house and to be fair, flies are the least of the pest worries. I've had to deal with rats. This didn't stop me loving the house though