infestation of small gnats/flies

[Jonathan Ives]

Hi,

I have noticed over the last few months that my house appears to contain a large number of small flies. I'm not an entomologist but these are not houseflies , they are much smaller, almost the size of gnats. They are not mosquitos and do not bite but seem to often buzz around, often orbiting my head it appears. They appear in all rooms in ones or twos and I can't figure out where they come from. I have checked house plants and fruit bowls and none appear to be the epicenter. The house is clean and we have no animals

I don't like using fly spray and things which give off chemicals, and have so far resorted to fly papers to catch as many as possible.

Anyone had a similar experience. maybe its a recognised phenomena ?

[Michael McNeil]

Call in the council pest control officer. It's probably no more than someone decomposing under the floorboards. Quite common these days. (Pleased to hear about Ian Huntley getting a clobbering.)

[Andrew Mawson]

Sound like fruit flies - do you have an open bowl of fruit out sometimes?

Andrew

[Huge]

Almost certainly fruit flies, aka Drosophila melanogaster. As well as fruit and veg, they'll live quite happily in pot plants.

Every biology lab in the world is infested with them...

[Ade]

[geoff]

In message , Jonathan Ives writes

[Frisket]

Have you got downlighters by any chance? Don't know why but just lately we've found gazzillions of these little blighters behind the fittings in kitchens / bathrooms on several sites. Richard

[Rick Dipper]

I like to catch them out the air with the hover, absolutly no chemicals ....

Rick

[Michael McNeil]

I gather the premisses were about to be leased to an Australian couple. When they were informed, they were delighted as they were looking to buy a property in the area. It would seem that the current craze for feeding tourists to the dingos in Aussie's great outdoors may be losing its appeal.