Infestation of flies on stored supers

[Eyeman]

Anyone come across this before? Stored supers in unheated garage. Frames in supers unaffected. Hundreds of small flies on outside of supers with what appears patches of eggs. Considerable amount of black debris around base of supers ? Casings from eggs.
When disturbed they run & not seen any flying.

 

[Amari]

Anyone come across this before? Stored supers in unheated garage. Frames in supers unaffected. Hundreds of small flies on outside of supers with what appears patches of eggs. Considerable amount of black debris around base of supers ? Casings from eggs.
When disturbed they run & not seen any flying.

Never seen that. Nasty!

 

[user 819]

Obviously one has an infestation of flies and with the mild weather the garage is providing a good refuge out of any damp wind driven weather.
Conditions for them are perfect.

 

[Eyeman]

Obviously one has an infestation of flies and with the mild weather the garage is providing a good refuge out of any damp wind driven weather.
Conditions for them are perfect.

30+ years of overwintering supers I haven’t come across this before. Presume they are going for the remains of honey in frames but fortunately can’t see any inside supers.

 

[JamezF]

30+ years of overwintering supers I haven’t come across this before. Presume they are going for the remains of honey in frames but fortunately can’t see any inside supers.

What you need is some spiders, to catch the flies. Then perhaps some birds, to catch the spiders. I'd recommend stopping before you get to horses however.

James

 

[RJC]

I think they might be cluster flies? - https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/media/nqaecyzh/cluster-fly-fact-sheet.pdf

 

[enrico]

I think they might be cluster flies? - https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/media/nqaecyzh/cluster-fly-fact-sheet.pdf

Yep, I second cluster flies. If you get them in your attic they are horrendous, manage to get into light fittings and leave a carpet of dead flies, velux windows are renowned for attracting them through the air vent. You need to get rid of them.

 

[Eyeman]

Yep, I second cluster flies. If you get them in your attic they are horrendous, manage to get into light fittings and leave a carpet of dead flies, velux windows are renowned for attracting them through the air vent. You need to get rid of them.

These guys have long antennae so don’t look like cluster flies. Also cluster flies lay eggs in soil, these look like there eggs are on the outside of supers. Will try and catch one to get a closeup

 

[pargyle]

Hit the supers with a sulphur burn .. if you can find a box big enough put the whole lot in seal it up and do another suphur burn to get the flies and any eggs/maggots - do it soon before your super drames are ruined. The sulphur burn just creates sulphur dioxide which won't harm your frames but it will kill all the insect life.

 

[Karol]

Look more like parasitic wasps to me. Could be attracted to wax moth larvae (rather the smell of them) or smell of brood.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Google Lens gives me bark lice and U.K. Bees Wasps and Ants FB group has suggested the same

 

[Erichalfbee]

Google Lens gives me bark lice and U.K. Bees Wasps and Ants FB group has suggested the same

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you can get a better picture showing the wings they will give you a species.

 

[Eyeman]

Bark Fly (Peripsocus sp..) not a known invader of supers or garages. Fly & nymph. Thanks for all the input.

 

[Mabee]

I had a fruit fly infestation in my wax stores this year (pre rendering), disgusting things!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I had a fruit fly infestation in my wax stores this year (pre rendering), disgusting things!

Big fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite them, and little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum

 

[The Poot]

Google Lens gives me bark lice and U.K. Bees Wasps and Ants FB group has suggested the same

I should steer clear of Google then!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I had a fruit fly infestation in my wax stores this year (pre rendering), disgusting things!

I have gazillions streaming out of the compost bin in the summer. Brings back my A level science lessons when I was allowed to take home bottles of ether to kill fruit flies to count red eyes, white eyes and vestigial wings.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I should steer clear of Google then!

I love Google. It’s how I found this place