Dorset Council’s Environmental Protection Team has received a high number of complaints about flies over the last few weeks.

The team offers the following advice:

• follow good hygiene practices and take extra precautions to ensure that foodstuffs are not freely available to them or they could become contaminated.
• Flying-insect sprays can be used to treat the affected rooms and there are other means of treatment including traps, which can be hung up, solid block insecticides in plastic vented containers and ultraviolet electric killers.
• investigate any other sources in or near their properties that may be contributing to the problem. It may be due to the presence of an animal carcass nearby where flies have laid their eggs. This includes rodents, which may enter and die within building spaces in properties. Any standing water, even that within a plant pot, can be an area where some species of flies may lay eggs. They also like any damp soil beneath rotting leaves. Adult flies may collect in large swarms within lofts, under soffits or porch areas.

Dorset Council doesn’t offer a pest treatment service. You will need to see professional help and it is advisable to get more than one quote and to check that the company undertaking the work is competent. In severe cases, council officers will investigate and provide advice.

Information about the council’s environmental health services can be found at www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/environmental-health. The team can be contacted on email: envhealthteamb@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or telephone 01305 251010.