Are there more bluebottles and flies around this summer?

[BIWI]

Are we just unlucky this summer, or are there more bluebottles/flies about than ever?

Both sets of neighbours are suffering as well. (We're in SW London, if that makes any difference!)

I’d thought this too, I remember my dad having to scrub them off the cars in the 80s. We live rurally and have definitely noticed more this year.

I'm west Midlands and haven't had any flies this year.

Yes I think food is going off quicker and they're finding more places to lay their eggs. As they have such a short life cycle the numbers escalate quickly. I'm getting flies laying eggs in the cat food my cat hasn't eaten within a couple of hours then having maggots in the food waste bin. Grim

Yes more, which is good for the wildlife that eats them. I'm seeing more insects in general this year.

Yes. We’re in Kent and we’ve had loads. We’re cleaning the kitchen bin and food caddy every week with boiling water and disinfectant, and wiping down behind our window shutters, making sure any food is covered etc but they are still coming in the house. Bloody things😡

Yes- just spent earlier today trying to get rid of loads congregating around my windows.

I thought this just the other day!

My house is rural and we're seeing a lot more butterflies and mossies but not house flies or blue bottles.

Last year we had a few nuisance flies and thought we would try a fly trap to stop them coming in the house. It worked quite well last year and the mixture was changed each week. This year the bottle was FULL of flies within 3 days. I mean 500ml of solid flies. Revolting.

I'm rural bedfordshire and haven't noticed any flies for the last 2/3 weeks whereas we had some before that. Lots of butterflies but i well remember the 80s when flying bug were everywhere - a real pain. Have been unnerved at the reduction in flies and was spending time catching and freeing them humanly as I was so alarmed

Never thought i'd be concerned about a lack of blue bottles 😬

No, nothing so far which is unusual. SE London

Same! I’ve just got new ones, hoping I won’t I won’t have to replace every couple of weeks!

Just let them be a food source for other creatures then, no need to kill them

Yes, but also SW London, but also agree with the butterfly observation too.

No more than last year or so.
Harvest time has seen an increase, but that’s expected.
Love my fly swat!

No ants on the patio this year though.

Not noticed any more flies and bluebottles this year. But I have noticed a lot more ants than normal. (Cheshire/North Staffs border.)

Yep lots. And loads of ants and butterflies, not so many bees about though I don't think. We're in Oxfordshire.

Strangely, we've had much less

Yes, and a lot more insects in general, especially moths and butterflies.

Yes, I'm under siege! I'm in the South West and they won't stop coming.

Yes they are driving me insane! Even the cats are sick of them and have stopped trying to catch them!

Yes to the cat food/ food waste caddy situation attracting flies. Yuck!!

We’ve noticed a definite increase in insects this year. We noticed it before the heatwave; there are many more insect strikes on my car bonnet/windscreen and there’s been more in the house.
It’s a good sign: hopefully all the people doing no-mow May, the increase of gardeners leaving areas for nature/insects,farmers rewilding etc is making a difference.
No gardeners I know use insecticides nowadays. When I was growing up and there more insects around, my mum was always spraying Fly Spray in the house and dad sprayed loads of the allotment and fruit tree with insecticide.
There is so much positive news going on with regards to humans caring more for nature/environment now (still plenty of negatives but so many people are making changes nowadays).

Yes so horrible bluebottles. They're disgusting 🫣