By Jools

Re: Flies
09 May 2008 18:11

We had a new conservatory put on the back of the house last October. Since this recent hot weather we are being plagued with flies - I am reguarly sweeping up at least 30 per day. Hubby is spraying room nightly but dont want to keep doing this as its expensive
Anyone got any suggestions of why we are being plagued? I dont keep any food in there or plants or flowers
Also suggestions welcomed on how to deal with the little buggers!
Jools

Replies

By *Crumbs

Re: Flies
09 May 2008 18:21

Jools that`s miserable. When we are in the camper and are plagued with any wee beesties we burn a citronella candle and it seems to help. It certainly helps with the midges.

crumbs :-(

By gerry

Re: Flies
09 May 2008 19:06

Apparently flies are attracted to the colour yellow. I mentioned this in case your conservatory is painted yellow, has yellow curtains, or you wear yellow a lot.

By Michele

Re: Flies
09 May 2008 19:09

We had this problem last year .... we just had loads and loads of little black flies all over the house, all on the windows. We bought some of those little fly repellant stickers for the windows (although you have to replace those every so often) and also one of those electric light things that kill flies. They do buzz a bit (like the flies), but seemed to do the trick. We thought ours were coming from our next-door neighbours composter contraption (and we're still not convinced that it wasn't). We had never had those flies in the house before, and it was just such a coincidence that they had their composter for the first time last summer. We still can't understand why they have a composter though - they are not gardeners, so heaven knows that they are going to do with the stuff when it;'s all mulched down.

By gerry

Re: Flies
09 May 2008 19:14

Michele, sounds like badly managed compost. Ours doesn't attract flies.

By Amelia

Re: Flies
09 May 2008 19:51

Jools, citronella essence or candles is a good solution, it is used in Brasil to fight -off the mosquitos that carry dengue. Gerry is right about the colour too, yellow atractts, while blue (not dark shades) repels. I believe that's why many houses all over Portugal and north Africa, specially in fishing villages , are white with blue borders around the doors and windows.
Hope you'll get rid of those pests so you can enjoy your conservatory in peace!
Amelia

By janjam

Re: Flies
09 May 2008 19:57

We've bought some fly killer pens, like felt tip pens, that you use on the windows and window frames. You can get them from Wilkinsons, I think Rentokill make them. They seem to do the trick for us but you have to re-apply every couple of weeks.
JJ

By Siobhan

Re: Flies
09 May 2008 20:17

I might be wrong but here in Belgium you can't buy pens any more, too many kids putting them in their mouth!
I also have a lot of flies in my conservatory, the things that you stick on windows seem to work the best.

By Honey

Re: Flies
10 May 2008 00:30

Jools, just a thought... Are they only in your conservatory? This is just possible... look and see... We get a problem with them hibernating in the window frames over winter and they then wake up and manage to get into the house. I find that in the spring I have to open all the windows and take a brush and brush them all off the frames... We find we get flies, ladybirds and lacewings all overwintering in the windows. Perhaps your conservatory windows are different and they like your new windows. Just check that they're not hiding in there.

Honey :-x