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A Pest Controllers guide to Cluster Flies Introduction to Cluster Fly.
There are a number of different flies that cluster these are The Cluster Fly Pollenia rudis is the most common and is pictured below.
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The Cluster Fly Pollenia rudis
Appearance A large fly up to 10mm in length, very "Furry" in appearance with obvious golden hairs on its thorax (tail end)
Biology The larva (maggot) lives as a parasite of the earthworm Allolobophora chlorotica The adults lay eggs on the open ground which after about a week hatch. The newly hatched larva hunt out finds the earthworm and bores into it slowly developing inside it devours the earth worm and eventually pops out of the earthworm and pupates. As the now young adults emerge from the pupa they can often be seen sunbathing on south facing walls and fences.
With the onset of Autumn the adults try to enter buildings to over winter and can gather in there thousands in lofts upper bedrooms and window casements. When the weather is cold little or no activity can be seen, but on warm sunny winter days they become more active and gather on sunny spots again to sun themselves.In most years there are to generations but when summers are long and warm there can be four. Weather plays a large role in when the flies start to seek out a place to winter and again some years it can be as late as December.
The Green Cluster fly in appearance is much like the Green Bottle fly and the Yellow swarming fly is a small fly much like a Gnat. Little is known about either of these flies.
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