Where do houseflies go in the colder weather?

Question

never seem to see any around until its hot and sunny

Answer 1

they go into cracks in walls and hibernate

Answer 2

My Dad used to sing a little song about this -

"Where do flies go in the winter time?

Each year in September, up the walls they climb

Spread their wings and fly away,

Come back on a Summer's day.

Now you know where flies go

On a cold and frosty mo-orning!"

Answer 3

They hibernate in Garibaldi biscuits.

Answer 4

As the winter nears many insects become scarce. Adult house flies, for example, die off.

house fly eggs live on and are to be found in their larval or pupal stage hiding in some dung or in some rubbish somewhere. They may also be laid in warm attics or rafters. Flies are opportunistic and will lay their eggs anywhere that is a food source. For instance, if a mouse of bird has died in your attic, flies will use its rotting corpse as the perfect host for its young.

If the pupae or larvea were outside they would stay dormant through the cold weather.

In the winter, the only source of heat will be the house itself. They may stay trapped in the loft and might die off once all food sources have been exhausted.

1. Try to plug any gaps in the roof area and other areas in the building to ensure that pests can not invade in the first place. You may consider installing Insectocutor fly screens

2. Regularly check roof spaces and other rarely habited areas for any dead creatures. For instance check rat traps and the like. Also, clear away any rubbish.

3. Make sure there are no leaks or damp areas. These can aid infestation.

4. If possible, turn off all heating for a limited period. The only practical time you may consider this is if the building is not being used for a while. If you are going on vacation this would be a good time to ensure all heating is turned off. Businesses can use the Christmas break for the same purpose. For hospitals this option will not be available of course.

5. Use fly killers. Insectocutor fly killers can be purchased from Arkay Hygiene (see below).

Cluster flies are a particular nuisance. You may need to purchase an Insectocutor SE22 or SE44 fly killer with the catch tray removed and a large metal container positioned directly underneath it (the regular catch tray would not be able to cope with the sheer numbers of cluster flies).

Answer 5

Into my living room yesterday!

Answer 6

they Hibernate