Cluster fly control devon & cornwall

Flies: The Cluster Fly

The cluster fly is a nuisance pest for homeowners. It does not bite people, carry diseases, no cause any real damage to a home. Cluster flies are about five-sixteenths of an inch long; they are gray with golden-toned hairs on their thorax. Spotting them is easy because they are usually all clustered together on walls outside, sunning themselves. This is also where their name comes from, because when resting they usually will be clustered near each other. The cluster flies are similar to many other pests as they just want to get inside houses to stay warm. With this in mind, the winter time is when people will most often find cluster flies inside their homes.

Ant Control Devon & Cornwall

Ant Removel Devon & Cornwall

Ants Are More Than Just a Nuisance

Structural Damage Risk

While garden ants usually nest in soil, nests under patios and driveways can displace large amounts of earth, potentially undermining paving and blockwork in your Devon or Cornwall garden.

Food Contamination

Foraging workers track pheromones and bacteria across floors and countertops, contaminating open food sources and kitchen preparation areas in your home or business.

Supporting Aphids

Ants "farm" aphids for their sugary honeydew, actively protecting these pests. High ant activity often leads to increased, damaging aphid infestations on your prized garden plants.

The Dartmoor Pest Control Difference

Life Cycle

Like all ants, the garden ant has a life cycle of complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult):

Eggs: Tiny, white, and oval-shaped.
Larvae: White, legless, and grub-like.
Pupae: Encased in a silken, light-brown cocoon, often called "ants' eggs" when found.
Adults: The colony produces workers (sterile females), queens (fertile females), and males.

The Nuisance Factor (Why They Enter Homes)

Garden ants are primarily a nuisance because they enter homes seeking food, especially sweet foods.

Pheromone Trails: Once a foraging worker finds a food source (like spilled juice or crumbs), it lays down a chemical pheromone trail, attracting hundreds of other workers from the nest to the food source, leading to the familiar trail of ants marching into a kitchen.
Nesting Under Paving: Their outdoor nesting habits can undermine paving slabs, patios, and block paving, sometimes causing instability.
"Flying Ants Day": A notable event, usually in July or August, where new winged queens and males emerge simultaneously from multiple colonies for mating flights. This often results in thousands of ants swarming for a short period.

Control

Effective control usually requires treating the entire colony, not just the foraging workers seen indoors:

Ant Baits: The most common and effective method, where workers take poisoned food back to the nest to kill the queen and larvae.
Insecticides: Application directly to outdoor nest entrances and along points of entry into the home.
Exclusion: Sealing entry points like cracks in foundation, gaps around windows, and door frames to prevent indoor access.

We don't just spray; we identify the ant species (usually the common Black Garden Ant) and locate the main nest entry points, which is key to long-term control.

Expert Identification

We use professional-grade gel baits and non-repellent insecticides that the workers carry back to the nest, eliminating the Queen and the colony at the source, safely away from pets and children.