Cluster flies
#10
I know what you were thinking but I'm setious. We had these flies most of the winter. Has anyone had success with the exterminator? I did look them up to confirm what we were dealing with. Never an issue before. Thanks
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#11
Your exterminator will most likely use an encapsulated synthetic pyrethroid to take care of them.

If you are in a state that allows for the unlicensed purchase of these, please be careful and both read, and understand the label. Applying it is not rocket science, but you'd be surprised at the stupid things I've seen people do.
Matt

If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.
-Jack Handy

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#12
Water source.  

If you have flies in the house all winter they have to be breeding indoors.  They need standing water.

A friend of mine had a bagel store that had flies all seasons.  I met a entomologist on a plane on a business trip and he said that they were breeding in the building.  He said, find the standing water and eliminate it, then spray.

He found the water leak under the sink and had it repaired.  He had the exterminator come in one more time and they were gone.

Some old homes with no insulation have this problem too.  That is more difficult as the water source is condensation inside the walls.  If this is a recent problem only, then the wall situation is probably not the cause.

Find the leak.  Fix it.  Dry it.  Spray one time to kill the bugs and you are done.
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
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#13
Interesting. 2 yrs ago we had a first gen pib pipe break and flood first floor & basement. We were out 3 months. They came in and dried and tested. A second company did the repairs. I never had them before and can't think of anyplace we ever had standing water so I'll have to look around. Thanks
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#14
(04-01-2018, 06:49 PM)whatline Wrote: I know what you were thinking but I'm setious. We had these flies most of the winter. Has anyone had success with the exterminator?  I did look them up to confirm what we were dealing with. Never an issue before. Thanks

The flies you are seeing are simply using your house for overwintering.  They are not reproducing inyour house.  Larvae live in earthworms.  They enter the house in autumn through the attic and live there and in the wall cavities in a form of hibernation for the cool/cold months of the year.  They might revive enough to move about on warmer days and find their way into the living quarters of your house where they are attracted to the light of the windows.  They are harmless as far as causing health or structural issues.  Seal up the places where flies in the wall voids can get into the house and you will have solved your problem.  But again, they are not reproducing in the house.  The flies you see came in last fall and have lived somewhere in the house until now.  When summer comes they will gladly leave your house.  People have mentioned insecticides.  I have been a professional research entomologist for almost 50 years and my opinion is that pesticides have their (essential) place but not in the home.  Do a little searching for where the overwintering insects are getting into the living quarters of the house and seal it up.  Problem solved.  For further info on cluster flies go to the Penn State Univ website where they have an excellent write up.  Ken
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#15
Welcome this is a farmhouse
We have cluster-flies, alas,
and this time of year is bad

We are so very sorry
There is little we can do
but swat them

She didn't beg
or not enough
She didn't stay when things got tough

I told a lie
and she got mad
She wasn't there when things got bad

I never ever saw the northern lights
I never really heard of cluster-flies
I never ever saw the stars so bright
In the farmhouse things will be all right

Woke this morning to the stinging lash
Every man rise from the ash
Each betrayal begins with trust
Every man returns to dust

I never ever saw the northern lights
I never really heard of cluster-flies
I never ever saw the stars so bright
In the farmhouse things will be all right
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#16
Thanks Ken. I do have a piece of siding that pops off regularly. We live in Lanc. County so we see plenty of regular flies. Wife will be happy once they leave. Phil, is that an original? Pretty good
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#17
Years ago, in a split entry house(facing east) in early April, I noticed a lot of flies in the east facing window of my son's room in the southeast corner of the house. There was a south facing window in the same room and a south facing window in the master south wall. My son said they had been there a couple days. I hate inside flies and figured he had something rotten in his room to allow them to breed. But, the flies were between the window and the storm window. I sprayed, kilt the so and sos and figured I was done.


No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No 

Next day there were more. A lot more. Then I go outside and there were thousands on the south side of the house!!!! Just hanging on the siding. I call a friend who did pest treatment on the side and he comes over. He goes into the attic and there were millions of them up there!!!!!!!
Big eek
Big eek
Big eek
Big eek
Big eek
Big eek
Big eek

He laughed. Said that was unusual but not unheard of. They were enjoying the warmth of the sun heating the south wall. He said they'd be gone in a week or so, it would be better to wait and not have to spray and clean up. He was right. A week later, there were about 20 dead ones in the east window and the rest were gone. I guess there were no holes for them to get into the other two windows.

Never happened again.
Confused
Confused
Confused
Confused
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#18
(04-03-2018, 06:13 PM)whatline Wrote: Phil, is that an original? Pretty good


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