Why Do Flies Keep Gathering at the Windows in My Ely Property?

Flies collect at windows because bright light draws them and the glass blocks them. The window is where the flies finish up, not where the trouble starts. In an Ely terrace or an older house near the cathedral, there are usually a few places worth checking in a sensible order.

A Short Investigation

1. Clear the sill and look again tomorrow. A repeat crop overnight means something is producing flies. A handful across a week suggests they are drifting in.
2. Look at the flies. Large and sluggish suggests cluster flies. Large and glossy suggests blow flies. Tiny and hovering suggests fruit flies.
3. Go up. In a terrace the roof void may be shared or connected next door, so check along the eaves and in the loft hatch area for flies massed in a corner.
4. Go down. Check the drains in the kitchen, bathroom and any cellar or utility room.
5. Check bins and recycling, inside and out.

Sash Windows and Old Frames

Older windows leak. That is good news for flies, which can slip in through gaps and perhaps less good news for you, since you cannot completely seal a period frame. It means a fly screen or a repair to the worst gaps will cut numbers down, but it will not tell you where your resident flies originate.

What Usually Turns Up

• Cluster flies resting in the roof space through winter and waking on mild days
• A dead bird or mouse behind a fascia, in a chimney breast or under a floor, causing a run of larger flies
• A neglected drain or trap behind a sudden burst of tiny flies

Why Timing Helps

Note what the weather was doing on the days when numbers peaked. Flies resting in a roof space become active when the sun warms the slates, so a spike on a bright cold day suggests that is where they are. A spike after a warm, damp spell in a kitchen or bathroom suggests a drain or bin. Recording this for even a week gives a clearer picture than guessing, and it costs nothing.

It also helps to know the answer before you decide whether to treat, rather than after.

When DIY Runs Out

Hoovering, bins and drain cleaner are all worth doing. They do not reach into a void, and they do not tell you what is up there. That is where a visit pays for itself. fly control in Ely is £180 fixed cost, agreed before we start, and our fly control cost guide lays out the process.

Ely properties range from narrow Victorian terraces to older houses with deep roofs, and the same flies can have a different source in each.

If you are in Ely and want a second opinion, call 01223 902388 or WhatsApp a photo of the flies.