Cluster fly plagues

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Rikkitic

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#295671 13-Apr-2022 11:44

At my rural location we often get huge cluster fly plagues in early autumn if it is warm and sunny. Our walls and flooors can be completely covered by them and I have to constantly vacuum them up.

I have no special knowledge of these but I am convinced that the enormous swarms coming out of the grass are not natural, and are a result of agricultural practices. Can anyone comment on this?

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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#2901895 13-Apr-2022 12:59

My parents have the same problem, it's been very bad lately. It could be that the wetter than normal February month has contributed to this. We also noticed it locally in the crane fly population

SaltyNZ

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#2901900 13-Apr-2022 13:06

I had to get another one of those electric bug zapper tennis racquet things (my wife "misplaced" the last one) they were so bad up here lately. I must've killed about three dozen of the little bastards on the first day alone.

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Geektastic

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#2901912 13-Apr-2022 13:22

We just get the local pest controllers to spray the buildings.

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#2901915 13-Apr-2022 13:24

Geektastic:

We just get the local pest controllers to spray the buildings.

Pffff the daisy juice they're using these days? That's just 'fresh flower scent' for the flies up our way.

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quickymart

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#2901929 13-Apr-2022 13:57

My Mum gets this too. She activated a fly bomb (I guess similar to a flea bomb) in her roof last week. It certainly killed a lot of the flies, but as to whether they're gone for good is another question.

She can't get a pest controller to visit at the moment so I'm trying to think of ideas for how to resolve it for her as well.

SATTV

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#2901934 13-Apr-2022 14:10

I have a couple of these outside, I am amazed at how quick they fill up with files.

To bait them you put a bit of meat or fish in them and some water.

I think my record for filling one up was three days.

They work very well, sadly they also stink and you cant have them too close to the house, I have also made my own but they were never as good.

John

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CYaBro

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#2901955 13-Apr-2022 14:37

SATTV:

I have a couple of these outside, I am amazed at how quick they fill up with files.

To bait them you put a bit of meat or fish in them and some water.

I think my record for filling one up was three days.

They work very well, sadly they also stink and you cant have them too close to the house, I have also made my own but they were never as good.

John

A couple of what?

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SaltyNZ

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#2901970 13-Apr-2022 15:04

CYaBro:

A couple of what?

These.

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Geektastic

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#2901971 13-Apr-2022 15:06

SaltyNZ:
Geektastic:

We just get the local pest controllers to spray the buildings.

Pffff the daisy juice they're using these days? That's just 'fresh flower scent' for the flies up our way.

Luxury! There were eight of us living in cardboard box in middle of t’road. Father got us up 4 hours before we went to bed…..

CYaBro

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#2902003 13-Apr-2022 15:22

SaltyNZ:

CYaBro:

A couple of what?

These.

These what? I'm not seeing anything.... What am I missing?

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SATTV

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#2902015 13-Apr-2022 16:01

Sorry.

https://thekiwigardener.co.nz/products/envirosafe-fly-trap?variant=42538580115704&currency=NZD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2022-03-16&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxtSSBhDYARIsAEn0thQxYvYpoIZwBKcFiE9rdChGaIlNNUXefpQ_uF62jcdeObRMPckx90MaAqCrEALw_wcB

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networkn

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#2902016 13-Apr-2022 16:01

CYaBro:

These what? I'm not seeing anything.... What am I missing?

You should seek help from an optometrist, the rest of us can see it fine ;)

I mean it's right there ^^^ :)

Lastman

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#2902042 13-Apr-2022 16:43

I have no special knowledge of these but I am convinced that the enormous swarms coming out of the grass are not natural, and are a result of agricultural practices. Can anyone comment on this?

Probably a result of more benign practises I would think ie banning of DDT etc. excepting that we have more grassed areas than might be a “normal” environment. I don’t think they travel that far ie they are localised to the vicinity of your house.

I find numbers tend to vary a lot year to year, I assume due to the conditions when they are breeding eg ground moisture, temperature.

I’m a big fan of the Pyrethrin timer sprays not least because they keep ants out of the house, not sure the effect on cluster flys but have had very few lately. The other recommended thing is an outside contact spray if it’s really a problem.

gzt

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#2902075 13-Apr-2022 18:32

Rikkitic: At my rural location we often get huge cluster fly plagues in early autumn if it is warm and sunny. Our walls and flooors can be completely covered by them and I have to constantly vacuum them up.

Are window screens an option? They tend to want indoors when the weather is cooling down end of summer. It's cooler so maybe you need a screen door front and back for a short period.

I have no special knowledge of these but I am convinced that the enormous swarms coming out of the grass are not natural, and are a result of agricultural practices. Can anyone comment on this?

Don't know. They lay eggs on earthworms. Whatever is good for worms is good for them I guess.

jonathan18

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#2908372 29-Apr-2022 15:04

From RNZ today: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/466124/wairarapa-and-canterbury-besieged-by-fly-plagues

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