The pen idea sounds a possibility, I will look into it. I could end up buying a box of pens as my conservatory is 16ft X8ft so quite a long stretch of roof. I think if I tried insectivorous plants they would be overwhelmed with the number and size of the flies. The poor plants would end up with serious indigestion and sunburn. It has cheered me up no end to hear other folk have a problem with these wretched cluster flies. I did try the door screens with magnetic edges but they were totally useless, as soon as the wind blows, and we have a lot of wind in Cornwall, they pull apart and blow open. Last year I worked my way through 6 aerosol cans of fly spray, effective but I had to spray several times a day every day. I suppose it is all part of living in an old property in a very rural location.
When I lived in a rural location I found those pens very useful ... just draw an invisible line around just inside the edge of the window ... it deals with the flies without filling the air with noxious toxins that you'll be breathing in. You just have to sweep them up.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We (along with everyone else on this lane) have problems with cluster flies. On a warm autumn or spring day the south facing walls of all the houses are covered in them. They hibernate in the loft spaces and (until we had the windows replaced a year ago) they also lived in our wooden casements. It was disgusting to open a window and be literally showered in flies.
It was only slightly reassuring to read that (as flies go) they are the cleanest of flies.
Some neighbours have put automatic insecticide dispensers in their lofts. We can't do that because we sometimes have bats up there as well. We invested in one of those UV electric zapper things (like you see in a butchers shop) for the loft. Doesn't seem to worry the bats and we collect bagfuls of fly corpses🤢
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
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I think if I tried insectivorous plants they would be overwhelmed with the number and size of the flies. The poor plants would end up with serious indigestion and sunburn.
It has cheered me up no end to hear other folk have a problem with these wretched cluster flies.
I did try the door screens with magnetic edges but they were totally useless, as soon as the wind blows, and we have a lot of wind in Cornwall, they pull apart and blow open. Last year I worked my way through 6 aerosol cans of fly spray, effective but I had to spray several times a day every day.
I suppose it is all part of living in an old property in a very rural location.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It was only slightly reassuring to read that (as flies go) they are the cleanest of flies.
Some neighbours have put automatic insecticide dispensers in their lofts. We can't do that because we sometimes have bats up there as well. We invested in one of those UV electric zapper things (like you see in a butchers shop) for the loft. Doesn't seem to worry the bats and we collect bagfuls of fly corpses🤢