Help!!Flies!!

[towny mum]

Hello, I'm new and need your help! I recently moved to the country and am experiencing problems with flies. First in winter they were indoors, in the loft to be precise. Now they are on the roof and gather on the outside wall of the property and all over my garden furniture, on the childrens plastic toys...anywhere that is directly in the sun actually. We are talking about vast numbers here, so many that there is this 'hum' that vibrates almost.
I am semi rural with farms around me, but not directly next to me. I am surrounded by fields.
If it is not sunny, I have noticed that the numbers drop off, and once it cools down and the shade starts to creep round the building, they go.I live in an Oast house , incase this is relevant.
Any ideas why they cover my house etc,and when they will stop doing this?
Also, is there anything that they are attracted to, or draws them to this house? Any thoughts on how I could deter them from sunbathing and keep them away would be greatly appreciated.!!!

[hedgehugger]

Are you sure they aren't bees?

[thunder]

I think these are likely to be Cluster Flies - certainly those are the flies most likely to be found gathering in house roofs in winter in huge numbers. They do so to hibernate, and now I imagine they are beginning to wake up and are taking advantage of every bit of sun they can find to wake themselves up. They should disperse very soon - but it is very likely that the next generation will return to your loft next winter, and it is very difficult to prevent them. The larvae of the commonest species are parasitic on earthworms, so not associated with the unpleasant things that other flies can be, if that is any kind of reassurance

henrya

[thunder]

Forgot to say "Welcome to WAB!"

henrya

[darrenm]

Flies are part and parcel of living in the countryside and just a part of life

[valleyforge]

Hi towny mum and welcome to WAB.

As henrya has advised, they are likely just warming themselves following hibernation and will naturally disperse ... they don't pose any major health risk and shouldn't be that difficult to learn to tolerate.

The upside of their presence around your home is that they are going to attract many insectiverous birds, including perhaps swifts, swallows and house martins.

And in the evenings you may get a gathering of bats ... so no real downside then.

[Cowgirl]

If you think your flies are bad, you should try living on a dairy farm right next to the cowsheds (& they used to bite too!) ! Anything white always got covered in fly poo, constant cleaning aaargh!

My first thought was also cluster flies. I get them in this house as well (not on dairy farm anymore) and as previously said they will disperse naturally & you'll soon forget about them, 'til the autumn that is. I can appreciate that they are a nuisance, but they really are harmless. As Valley forge says it'll attract more birds & bats, wonderful. It's an ill wind....& all that.

Cheers, keep smiling!

[Beekeeper]

I am going to be blunt here and say, if you move to the country, you must accept it for what it is, so many people seem to have preconceived ideas of the country and then are dissapointed when it is not like what they think it is, the next step is to set about making change, once that has been accomplished, they move elsewhere as it isnt countryside anymore and has been ruined for everyone.

For instance, one lady wrote to the local paper complaining of getting her shoes muddy whilst crossing the local school green, she demanded a footpath, the next week someone wrote a reply and told her to buy wellies.

Another one i met in the local pub one night, he had just moved into my village, i asked him what he thought of it, the reply, I dont like it, too many trees.

Can you believe it ! what a pillock to move to the forest and complaint about trees.

Incidentially, he added that where he used to live in Yorkshire it was all rolling hills and he could see for miles so i told him in no uncertain terms to go back there, fair play, he put his house up for sale and was gone in a month.

Last but not least, a very old friend who lives right on the open forest used to have a friend come and visit weekly from the other side of the village, she always drove her car to visit Heather.

One day Heather suggested she might try walking to save fuel and pollution, across open forest, it would take no more than 15 minutes and keep the lady fit.

The reply--- Oh i cant do that, the horses might chase me !!.

What is the point of moving to the area if not to enjoy it?

I really despair sometimes.

Ian

[Meta menardi]

Hey, come on guys, I have lived and worked on farms, lived and worked in villages that had dairy farms in their centre, and the description given by the OP is not just background fly stuff. I have experienced years in the same house when the level has gone from the normal level to the discrete year when Bluebottles nearly drove us mad. Be fair, read the post carefully and, if you have any suggestions, bring them forward. I have never solved the problem, and we are talking about some years in 30 years of countryside living. it is so easy to be snipey about questions, much more difficult to answer them with thought.

[darrenm]

maybe the place is possesed aka Amityville Horror...... ....only jesting