Bluebottles

Appearance

Bluebottle flies measure up to 10-14mm long. They are shiny, metallic blue or green (Greenbottles).

Habits

Bottle Flies or Blow Flies are one of the first insects to reach a dead animal, and the sudden appearance of dozens of them within a building signals a dead rodent, bird or other animal in the wall, ceiling, attic or crawl space. They are commonly found on windows and their presence is usually evident by their loud, buzzing sounds. Bluebottles breed in garbage containers, dumpsters and decaying vegetation. They are attracted to buildings by food odours and also warm or cool air currents coming through cracks around doors and windows.

Threats

Due to their habitation, Bluebottles carry pathogenic micro-organism from sewage, garbage and dumpsites, animal and human excrement, dead and infected carcases etc. This micro-organism can be transferred to humans when blowflies infect or make contact with human food source. The diseases carried by the blow flies are very similar to those of the house flies. Some are better-known including Endamoeba coli and Shigella dysenteriae, which cause diarrhoea, and Vibrio comma which causes cholera.

Prevention

Bluebottle breeding sites must be identified and eradicated. These sites may be some distance from where the adult flies are a nuisance. Keep doors and windows closed unless they are equipped with a tight-fitting fly screen.

Contact Owl Pest Control Dublin if you need help on how to get rid of Bluebottles or to arrange a professional blow fly treatment.