Cluster flies help

[waverly]

We've been battling cluster flies for the last 4 years.  I have screen doors, but they can still get in them because they can crawl around anything, so I have to keep my wooden door closed as well.  

This year we got rid of a racoon that was living in our garage (we thought he was visiting, but didn't realize he was straight up living there until the shutdown), I did spray insecticide, and I am keeping the door closed. It seemed like our garage had a lot of flies as well, but prior to realizing that about the racoon, I thought they were there because of the garbage.  We've also gone through and repaired a bunch of our screens. 

It seems like they hatch and come into the house every August, although an internet search would say later in fall to winterize.  They come in droves of at least 500 in the house which understandably drives me crazy.

I noticed a lot of insects in our back yard, and for some reason DH decided to go through and rake up all the thatch (they lay their eggs in the dirt/ they are not like house flies), and it seems like there are a lot less insects now, so I am hoping that maybe was the solution?  

Any other suggestions/ tips?  If it was the thatch issue, then that is something we could do every year.  The point is to prevent them from coming in the house in the first place.  Once they are in when you are talking about hundreds and hundreds it is an epic battle to vacuum them all up or fly trap them all, and it is so yucky.  These are not like house flies- they don't lay their eggs in garbage.  I didn't realize they were a completely different fly until last year. 

It says the adults eat flowers, so maybe by removing the thatch we are removing a food source?  Although thatch is not flowers. 

[RockNVoll]

I wish I could help. I thought these might be something else I had a suggestion for but instead I now regret Googling "cluster flies."

[waverly]

Jul 29, 2020 15:34:41 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

I wish I could help. I thought these might be something else I had a suggestion for but instead I now regret Googling "cluster flies."

Well at least you made me laugh!

[devonpow]

I only offer commiseration. We have a cluster fly issue every summer - they aren’t inside but in the breezeway that goes from our driveway into the backyard. So if you want to go in the back door from the garage or have guests walk directly through to the back it’s walking through a cloud of flies. Nothing has helped and I hate it so much. Our exterminators basically throw up their hands too. We have tried all sorts of various fly traps and poisons but nothing helps. Luckily it’s only a month or two but ugh i hate it.

[rubytue]

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.

-Phish

Sadly, this is all I know of cluster flies

[TR]

Jul 30, 2020 12:50:12 GMT -5 rubytue said:

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.

-Phish

Sadly, this is all I know of cluster flies

lol I came in to post "This time of year is bad and there's little you can do, but swat them." lol

[af1212]

We get them too. We are grateful that they are slow/dumb and easy to kill. I keep a magazine on every windowsill in my downstairs when they are here. It usually only lasts a week or two and then we are done until next year.

Sorry I don’t have more to offer.

[waverly]

Update: I am pleased to report that between getting rid of the racoon living in our garage (trapped and released), and raking up the thatch in our backyard, and keeping our back door closed we were able to avoid an infestation in the house this year. I think raking up the thatch also reduced the insects outside as well. I don't think the insecticide I sprayed did much because I only sprayed it twice and in very limited amounts because of toxicity, but I was willing to try anything so I didn't lose my mind again. We had also fixed all our screens during the lockdown (cleaned windows and fixed screens).