Cluster flies are dark grey with overlapping wings, and they measure approximately 8mm long. Their bodies have a mottled appearance with short golden hairs on the thorax. Cluster flies do not lay eggs on human food but instead use earthworm burrows, where the larvae then infest the worms.
They are renowned for hibernating in large numbers during the autumn months, entering buildings through small holes in the walls and preferring cavities, roof spaces, attics, and dormant rooms in which to overwinter. They appear again in the spring, often congregating at windows and flying slowly around the home.
House flies and bluebottles are most commonly found in the UK. House fly larvae are white, tapered and up to 12mm in length when mature, with the adult flies measuring 5-8mm. They lay their eggs in batches of 120-150, which can hatch into larvae in hours, and are particularly fond of decaying vegetable matter. Bluebottles have larger larvae and adult flies which measure up to 18mm and can be identified by their metallic blue bodies. They can lay up to 600 eggs, which will become fully developed maggots within a week. The maggots feed on meat, especially dead rodents or birds, before emerging as adult flies.
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