3 minute read
CLEANKILL FLIES DAMN FLIES
FLIES DAMN FLIES…
JACOB’S STORY “If you followed a fl y for a day Just like many eight-year-old boys, Jacob is a fi lm fanatic, loves spending time you wouldn’t eat for a week” outdoors and splashing around in the swimming pool. “Jacob is a sociable little is favourite saying of Paul Bates boy. Everyone knows him in our local of Cleankill Pest Control community, he loves it when people come up to us and have a chat” says Mum, There are more than 110,000 species of Insecticidal spraying around window and Elaine. “He is an absolute joy, has a wicked fl ies with the largest being around 6cms door frames and other entry points can sense of humour and does great big belly long and the smallest only around 0.15mm help. Once fl ies are inside, control can laughs!” long. Some are more bothersome than be achieved with a range of insecticides Jacob has Global Develop-ment Delay, others – depending on the season – and and electronic ultra-violet fl y machines meaning that he is signifi cantly delayed in some carry more germs than others. available from Cleankill. his cognitive and physical development. Jacob also has the highest grade of In late summer if staff in top-fl oor offi ces While there is a specifi c species of cerebral palsy, severe breathing issues, are complaining about fl ies – or your Common cluster fl y, there are other and uncontrollable seizures. “He has no loft space is overrun with insects – it’s species of swarming fl ies which independent movement so he can’t do probably cluster fl ies. overwinter. anything himself.” When Jacob was two years old, the Cluster fl ies such as Common cluster The life cycle of the cluster fl y is very much family were told about their local children’s fl y Pollenia rudis are ‘fi eld’ fl ies – they lay dependent on the prevailing weather hospice, Chestnut Tree House, by a eggs in the soil and the larvae burrow into conditions and, in this country, two member of the hospital outreach team. earthworms where they pupate. As the generations a year are usual but, in hot The family then soon booked their fi rst weather becomes cooler, they seek out summers, up to four generations per year overnight stay at the hospice building near shelter in nooks and crannies in buildings are possible. Arundel. “I don’t know what I was to hibernate in large numbers. Their expecting, but the moment we walked favourite places are roof spaces and lofts Curiously, a single house or one building through the doors we were amazed. We and people living in houses in the country in a row of similar buildings is often could not believe how much care and love are often plagued with swarms of cluster chosen year after year for this clustering was there. It was fantastic. It was a huge fl ies in their lofts. phenomenon. eye-opener, we could see all the opportunities there for Jacob. And for us, Normally, several thousand fl ies will it was the fi rst time we could sit down and cluster together – hence the name relax for a very long time.” cluster fl ies. They will usually infest the As well as short breaks at the hospice, highest warm point available – and this the family has Ruth, a Chestnut Tree is often the top fl oor of offi ces or loft House Nurse who visits them at home spaces in people’s homes. every month, allowing Jacob to get out and about to explore his local community, Cleankill Pest Control’s Managing Director Paul Bates explains: “As cluster fl ies don’t breed indoors, controlling them outside is impractical. It’s often impossible to keep fl ies from entering premises, no matter how well sealed or modern the property is. The fl ies enter through air vents, breathing points in mortar, roof tiles and even through gaps in modern double glazing.”
With offi ce across the South East in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and in Bristol and Buckinghamshire, Cleankill Pest Control is an award-winning pest control company and was last year named Company of the Year in the British Pest Management Awards. Cleankill is the only pest control company in England to hold the Investors in People Gold accreditation.
