Watch Out for Cluster Flies this Christmas

There is only one thing you would expect to come into your home this festive season, and that is Father Christmas, delivering his gifts on Christmas Eve when the children are asleep. You certainly wouldn’t expect to see cluster flies buzzing around inside your home.

But that is exactly what some people will experience this year. The recent cold weather has seen central heating come on, while the festive lights can make rooms even brighter than they normally are. All of this means some cluster flies can be disturbed from their hibernation. When this happens, they will tend to appear in rooms within the homes, perhaps buzzing around windows and making themselves known.

Hibernation habits

Cluster flies won’t normally bother us during the winter months. Even if they get into our homes, perhaps through open doors or windows, when the temperatures begin to fall in autumn, they won’t be a cause for concern. They will simply hibernate and sleep through the winter. Once the weather begins to warm up again, they will wake up and get on with their lives.

However, we often don’t realise these flies are inside our homes, especially since they won’t fly around unless they are disturbed. Unfortunately, this is very easy to do. If you turn on the central heating to warm up your property, the flies may awaken early, thinking it is already spring. They will wake up, fly around, and become a nuisance, especially if they are hibernating in numbers.

Do they pose a health risk?

While some insects and flies do pose a risk to our health, cluster flies aren’t typically included in this group. However, they will fly from one place to another, and if they land on something they can transfer germs quite easily. Thus, it is very important to maintain clean surfaces throughout your home, especially if you think you have cluster flies around.

If they are present in great numbers, you may wish to get some advice from a professional pest control expert. They can tell you how best to get rid of them, and to prevent them from getting into your home again next year. If these steps are not taken, you could well find you get a problem with them each year, rather than nipping it in the bud now. No one wants lots of flies buzzing around indoors, especially not over the festive season.