Flies.

[Ian_Rob]

Eventually removed our sails this afternoon. The main was smothered In black flies which were presumably intending to over-winter there. Most were alive but sluggish to the
point where we had to hit the sail with a broom to get them off. Some were even in the batten pockets. Is this something that other suffer from and what if anything can be done about it? They looked like houseflies but probably weren’t. A few in the Genoa but not as bad.

 

[europe172]

Eventually removed our sails this afternoon. The main was smothered In black flies which were presumably intending to over-winter there. Most were alive but sluggish to the
point where we had to hit the sail with a broom to get them off. Some were even in the batten pockets. Is this something that other suffer from and what if anything can be done about it? They looked like houseflies but probably weren’t. A few in the Genoa but not as bad.

Yes happened to me last couple of years , wasps as well

 

[rib]

I used to have a small holding with holiday cottages in Dorset.. Used to get them in and around window frames every year.. Spraying the frames with fly repellent helped !

 

[[2574]]

Cluster flies. See here: How To Control Cluster Flies - Pest Control Direct

 

[blush2]

I used to have a small holding with holiday cottages in Dorset.. Used to get them in and around window frames every year.. Spraying the frames with fly repellent helped !

Happens round the Dart. They're cluster flies which lay their eggs in earth worms. The larvae develop into flies in August/September and they look for somewhere warm to overwinter.

We spray the house window frames and in the ends of the sails with an insecticide, but you also need to make sure there are no gaps into the cabin as well.

Hoisting the sails regularly is a good idea because if the flies die they get mouldy and stain the sails. Do it when there is a bit of a breeze so they blow away, otherwise they will be back on the sails before you can get them stowed.

 

[stranded]

Experienced this for the first time this year - on rhe Dart- inside the furled genny, on halyards inside the mast, and dozens/hundreds in flying condition swarmed out of the spinnaker pole when I rattled it. Horrible.

 

[girlofwight]

Real problem with them at home the last two years since we had our roof done. They are persistent little buggers, and pass genes down to their baby flies to come back to the same place each year as, apparently, it’s “safe”.

Smoke bombs did the trick indoors, may not recommend them for a sail…

 

[Fimacca]

Regular winter sailing helps get rid of them !

 

[Stemar]

Could be worse - I left my sails on in the hope of some winter sailing a few years back, and a small bird overwintered in the end of the stakpak. It was not housetrained.

 

[Ian_Rob]

I can‘t really think of a solution to the problem. A tighter fitting lazy bag might help a little but given that they even manage to find their way into the batten pockets they are going to find their way in through any gap. Spraying and/or it’s residue may kill them but as said above, you don’t want them left decaying in the sail and staining it ..…???

Thankyou.

 

[jwilson]

Boat lifted out about a month ago, end of October. There were already a few flies in the mainsail folds, and two rather dozy wasps in a canvas tidy bag. Happens every year, the later you lift out and take off sails and canvas the more cluster flies you get. Fortunately they don't seem to twig that there is a way into the boat itself through ventilators.

 

[ashtead]

Is this just a regional issue in the SW ? We have problems with bread left in stack pack end but never flies. Maybe all the birds eat them ?

 

[[70521]]

Is this just a regional issue in the SW ? We have problems with bread left in stack pack end but never flies. Maybe all the birds eat them ?

It is due to the tropical weather we enjoy here. I have had the same issue in the past when on the Exe.

 

[[2574]]

Is this just a regional issue in the SW ? We have problems with bread left in stack pack end but never flies. Maybe all the birds eat them ?

It was a problem in rural Hampshire when we lived there.

 

[greeny]

We get them in our house in NW of England so no its not just the SW.

 

[Moodysailor]

Another one who has had this issue on the Dart.

It was most disturbing for my wife who was helming once when we decided to go out for a winters day sail & was under the mizzen when I hoisted it - I was not popular

 

[Bodach na mara]

We get them in Scotland as well. As I am doing a bit of work in the cockpit I have left the spray hood and cockpit cover on just now and on a sunny day there are always a few flies crawling on the window panels that I think have come from the tube channels. When I remove the cover there are always a few there.

And when we removed the sails in October there was quite a shower of the insects.

 

[Fantasie 19]

The two Dave's featured it in their last delightful ramble... about 18:30 in the following...

 

[Ian_Rob]

The two Dave's featured it in their last delightful ramble... about 18:30 in the following...

Interesting, not least in that I keep my boat on the same river and only about 300m from Dave Rebbettes who, unlike the other Dave apparently doesn’t suffer from them. I think the solution for the main at least is to try and seal the lazy bag at the ends, incorporating a small gauze panel for ventilation.

 

[tross]

Could be worse - I left my sails on in the hope of some winter sailing a few years back, and a small bird overwintered in the end of the stakpak. It was not housetrained.

Sew some velcro ether side on ( inside) the tail end of the stack-pack and then cut out use some of that non-slip runbber stuff that has holes in it and sew velcro strips eather side to it - then use it to block the tail end - this has worked for me for the past 3 years. No birds and still ventilated