Flies in Your House are not all House Flies; the Difference between House and Cluster Flies
We all experience nuisance flies in our homes on occasion and can generally shoo them out without too much difficulty. However, there are times when these houseguests find their way into our homes and truly outstay their welcome! To asses the risk you will need to identify which species you are dealing with. There are numerous different species of flies that invade our homes at different times of year and for different reasons. We are hoping that following a few simple guidelines you to will be able to perform a proper cluster or house fly identification leading to a better chance at combating the problems with flies you might be facing.
Here at Avon Pest Control we understand that identifying what type of fly you have in your home will enable you to treat the infestation more quickly and effectively.
Here are some top identifiers to help you distinguish between these two pests:
| House Fly | Cluster Fly | |
| Appearance | Grey bodies with black, vertical stripes and reddish eyes | Checkered bodies, which are a darker grey than a house fly, with yellow, goldish hairs on legs and thorax |
| Wings | Wings remain separate at rest | Wings overlap at rest |
| Movement speed | Fly quickly and frantically | Fly at a much slower rate than house flies and other fly species |
| Size | Smaller than cluster flies – around 6-7mm in length | Larger and stockier than house flies – around 8-10mm in length |
| Motivation for coming into your home | Come into your home in search of food and water | Come into your home for warmth, shelter and to find a place to hibernate |
| Time of year | Usually a problem in warmer months | Usually a problem in colder months and in spring when they emerge from hibernation |
| Location | When inactive at night, they can be found resting on ceilings and beams | Often found in loft spaces and wall cavities where they hibernate during the colder months |
| Risk | Threatening to health via food contamination – they feed and settle on rotting rubbish and excrement and then land on any uncovered food and kitchen surfaces, which spreads harmful bacteria. Additionally, house flies vomit and defecate a lot. Because they can only ingest liquids (they do not have the mouthparts required for chewing food) they vomit enzymes onto their (your) food which dissolves the food so they can drink it. Their digestive system is incredibly quick resulting in house flies landing and defecating frequently
| Do not pose as much of a health risk as house flies as they do not lay their eggs in faeces or decaying food like the house fly. Instead they lay their eggs in soil! This is because the cluster fly larvae are parasitic and use earthworms as a host. They also pupate in soil. Whilst the health risks are much lower, their sheer numbers can be upsetting and very annoying, and can attract other pests such as larder beetles |
Flies can breed rapidly, are unhygienic and an annoyance. The safest, most effective treatment to get rid of a cluster or house fly infestation is to use an expert pest controller. If flies are causing you a problem, give Avon Pest Control a buzz on 01926 632929 for professional advice, information, and removal or treatment pricing. Don’t let flies become a nuisance in your home, call Avon Pest Control today and we’ll sort the problem for you!