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Cluster Flies
Some Product Recommendations
Packaging: 17 oz. cans and case CB 80 Extra Aerosol
Packaging: pts and qts D-Fense SC Insecticide Cyper WP Cyper WP D-Fense Dust
Packaging: 1 lb containers D-Fense
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Flies | Fly Control Products
The cluster fly averages between 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. They are dark
gray, never metallic blue or green. When crushed, they give off an odor
like buckwheat honey. Cluster flies closely resemble house flies, but
they are usually larger and have a yellowish sheen on the thorax.
The cluster fly is a parasite of earthworms and breeds outdoors in lawns and fields during the spring and summer. You can find cluster flies almost everywhere in the United States and Canada, except for the Southern states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Female Cluster Flies lay their eggs in cracks in the soil, which hatch in three days. The larvae use earthworms as a food source. The larvae feed for about 22 days. After that, they go into the pupae stage, which lasts 11-14 days before emerging as adults. Adult flies feed on flowers. There are about four generations hatched per summer. When fall approaches, the cluster flies begin to enter structures in large numbers. Problems with cluster flies begin in late August as they move to winter quarters to over-winter. The cluster fly is seeking warm sites with protective cracks for shelter, crawling back as far as they can get. It is important to consider treatment before this happens. Cluster flies have been known to squeeze around the edges of windows that are weather-proofed. As the number of cluster flies attracted to the building increases, large clusters of flies huddle inside wall voids, attics, and false ceilings. Most infestations occur in the upper regions of a buildings, such as the attics of homes. In multi-story buildings, the cluster flies can be found in the upper two or three floors, and almost always of the south and west sides of the buildings. If you have unseasonably warm weather in the late fall or winter, the
cluster fly may emerge thinking it is spring, going for the warmer air
outside. Cluster flies fly very slowly when they just wake up. They are
strongly attracted to light, so they are usually found around windows.
At night they are attracted to lamps.
Check around windows for live or dead flies. If you can find the voids in which they are over-wintering, you can treat the voids with a dust or aerosol, but that is not an easy task. In most cases, the voids can't be located.
To locate the voids, start with
an inspection of cracks and crevices on the southern and western exterior
walls. Usually the only accessible voids are the attics, crawls paces and
false ceilings. Cluster fly problems can be partially prevented, but after the fall little can be done. All of those currently found within the home had infiltrated walls months ago. A "mini-vac" is the best control of the individual flies that are currently present. If this is not successful an aerosol like Electronic fly traps for residential and commercial use can be found at Electronic Fly Traps . Fall months are the times to use a good residual sprays. Spray the outside walls of the building where cluster flies are likely to land and rest before entering the building. These residual insecticides are applied outdoors to window frames, door frames, soffits and eaves as well as any other areas that are vulnerable to entry .Spray beneath the eaves and around the windows and other areas where flies are likely to seek entry. Application of to the surrounding soil may also help minimize Cluster Fly populations and later entry.
Recommended Products
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CB-80