House for sale but full of flies

[what..the?]

I went for my second viewing of a house the other night after work. It's a second home and not really lived in, i.e all the door windows even fires places were blocked up or closed. the house was full of flies like some sort of infestation or ritual curse/plague. Is this a bad sign, what could be the cause would it just be that something got in the house and layed eggs. The flys were all really big flies though and they def weren't there days earlier. So if they are just from eggs they surely would have been small baby flies?? I can't see that they have brought anything into the house from outside either.

Any help? Thanks in advance.

[Rollo]

Flies don'r grow, as such.

They start as maggots which then pupate. Next an adult fly emerges from the pupa.

[Velvetee]

Did someone or something die in the house, where the body remained for a while?

Other than that, perhaps there was rubbish left in the property, where they may have been meat or fish and this has caused an infestation.

Many years ago, an ex boyfriend moved into a new property and we kept noticing Blue Bottles in the house, but couldn't work out where they were coming from. We eventually noticed a dustbin bag on the balcony outside, which appeared to have rice lying around it. It wasn't rice, it was a load of Maggots, the flies were hatching and getting into the flat.

[what..the?]

Thanks for the answer

Velvetree ...rice arghhhhh maggots (just screamed in the office reading that) at least they were outside.

[what..the?]

thanks for that rollo, I didnt know, I must admit I felt rather stupid typing 'baby flies' when denoting the scale.

[Velvetee]

You should have a look at some Entomology websites. It's fascinating how a room can be sealed airtight, a piece of dead meat of animal can be left in this room and within days the room will be full of flies, which would indicate we have these maggot things living inside us.

Do you intend to buy this house? You'd think the current owners or Estate Agents would have it cleaned up before giving viewings.

[KARL]

At night, and particularly as weather cools, flies look for a place to roost. This applies from autumn to spring also. The crevices around openings, in between layers of material, etc. are favourite locations and they will crawl into the tiniest crevice. This keeps them safe from predators such as birds, lizards, etc. When the weather warms up (or dawn breaks) the flies warm up and go on the move again. It is common for them to move in the direction of warmth and light, if any, and they frequently go in a different direction from whence they came (a fly's memory is notoriously short). This regularly results in closed spaces filling with flies because they are not truly closed (lots of small crevices) and the flies can't find their way out. What you saw sounds like bluebottle flies and with the warmer weather I am not surprised they were there, a few (say 10-20) is not a high number, really, and when buzzing around in the heat of day they will seem very numerous. While it is of course possible they are feeding on something within the structure, I think that would have to be proved and my guess would be that they simply crawled in from outside.

[what..the?]

Thanks again for all the posts coming in.

Velvetree : yes I do like the house. The agents our one of these cheap agents that will sell a house for a bargin price, so I dont think they are too active in doing too much. And also the house is not in the best state anyway, I would descibe it as the better end of 'needing some modernisation' kitchen and bathroom ok but rest of house mainly decorating top to bottom. Therefore I dont think theres such thought to small details cobwebs flies etc

KARL: what you suggest sounds like it could be the answer because the day I viewed even though it was like 6pm it was like being abroad it was boiling hot. Thanks for that detailed answer very useful

[carlton23]

Do you detect an nasty smell anywhere in the house? Perhaps a rat has died under the floorboards. Ugh, I`d forget it if I was you.

[what..the?]

lol not I didn't smell anything but thanks lol

[carlton23]

Did you watch `The One Show` on BBC1 this evening? A subject you would find veeeerry interesting was on.

[what..the?]

No I didnt sorry what was it?

[shelby45]

Check in the loft for any dead birds, squirrels, bats etc., it could be that simple. Then get the holes blocked up where they get in!

[pastafreak]

I saw that program...... :-((..it was 'bug week' last week...and the expert's slot included a piece on maggots. Needless to say-I did not look as that is my worst nightmare.

[what..the?]

pmsl it put you off your macconi cheese lol

[MWB]

Or fried rice!!

[craft1948]

one day a neighbour of mine defrosted her freezer in the garage......unfortunately she unplugged the wrong appliance and turned off the fridge containing her husbands maggots (for fishing).............when he opened the door...............oops