General Characteristics:
- Can be recognised by distinct lines or stripes behind the head
- Size is 7 mm long
- Cluster flies are typically slow moving.
- Irregular light and dark gray areas on the abdomen
- Short golden-coloured hairs on the thorax
- They are strictly parasitic on earthworms
Reproduction:
- Females lay their eggs near earthworm burrows, and the larvae then infest the worms.
- Female cluster flies mate in spring and lay their eggs in the soil.
- Cluster flies that hibernated in households will mate and lay eggs in late summer or fall, repeating the cycle.
Signs of Infestation:
- When the adults emerge in the late summer or autumn they enter houses to hibernate, often in large numbers
- They are difficult to eradicate because they favour inaccessible spaces such as roof and wall cavities
- They are often seen on windows of little-used rooms
Control Techniques:
- Close and seal as many openings as possible through which the flies can enter. This procedure is time consuming and may require a dedicated long term effort.
- Use a compressed air sprayer to apply a surface spray to surfaces in attics, basements, closets, store rooms and other areas where the flies congregate.
- Using a pyrethrin aerosol for treating cracks and crevices will compliment your surface spray
- Insecticides such as dusts, wet table powders, microencapsulated products, or aerosols may be used ACCORDING TO LABEL SPECIFICATIONS AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS
Please click here to contact a Focus Pest Control professional to inquire about further treatments for this pest species.
References:
Sabrosky, Curtis W. (1999). "Family-Group Names in Diptera An annotated catalog". MYIA, The International Journal of the North American Dipterists' Society (Leidan: Backhuys Publishers) 10. http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/diptera/people/FCT_pdf/FGNAMES.pdf. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
Rognes, Dr Knut; Pape, Dr Thomas (19 April 2007). "Taxon details: Calliphoridae" (HTML). Fauna Europaea version 1.1,. http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=10892. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
“Genus Pollenia- Cluster Fly” (On-line). Iowa State University Entomology. Accessed Jan.
6, 2010 at http://bugguide.net/node/view/11826.
Disclaimer:
The Focus Pest Control ‘Pest Library’ is an educational resource written largely to educate the general public about common pests in Ontario. The Focus ‘Pest Library’ does not include all species in Ontario, nor does it include the most recent scientific data about species we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While Focus Pest Control staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.
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