Need help in understanding why my house has been overrun with aphids/greenflies

Hi

I am hoping someone can help me with this problem. I am not a gardener as such. There is no garden at the front of our house and there are only a few plants at the back.

However, two weeks ago, I started noticing greenfly in the kitchen. We do not have any houseplants, and we live in a residential street.

These greenfly grew in numbers in no time at all, and by the end of the day the kitchen was overrun with these little flying horrors. There have literally been hundreds and hundreds in there, all over the walls and windows. The only thing that kills them is washing up liquid which we spray everywhere.

In the morning we have to use up about two toilet rolls wiping the dead greenfly off the windows, units and walls. It is gross.

There are also aphids in the bathroom and dining rooms, but not so many, but they're still a problem. We have asked loads of people for advice and no one has given us a satisfactory solution to get rid of them. Or, WHY THEY'RE THERE??? We also cannot find the source. It is horrific.

It's going now mid October. How long will it be before these things die out and we can move back into our kitchen.

Thanks for your help.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

I;m guessing that there's a big Lime tree near you and the weather has suddenly got cooler?

They're looking for somewhere to overwinter but they don't live too long.

 

Hey thanks for the welcome.

You say there is a big lime tree, possibly? Our neighbours have trees - not sure they're lime or not. How are they getting into the kitchen in such huge numbers then?

I hope they're all dead soon. I hate them. We now have to prepare food in our living room and wash the dishes in the bathroom. The kitchen sink and draining boards are always full of flies.

It's horrible. :(

 

They might also like the colour of your kitchen.

Had a bad case of flies when I wore a bright green T shirt to work the other day Had to change my shirt

 

I wish I knew where they're coming from. They just magically appear. Soooooo annoying.

 

Welcome to GC Adam. Have you any houseplants that are harbouring them? Do you have any shrubs close to open doors or windows? Do you have air bricks low down in your property? Spraying them with diluted washing up liquid is the way to kill them and any left will eventually move on from your home.

I had a similar problem with flying ants years ago. I came home to find my lounge covered in them, they had come up through the floorboards. We filled the room with fly spray and kept the door shut until they were all dead.

 

Fly screens might be an idea

 

Thanks fort he welcome.

Sheal, there is some grass beneath the window, but that's about it.

No house plants. No shrubs. No air bricks either. I've actually stood in the kitchen and watched to see where they're flying from but they just suddenly appear, and then they're at the window. Baffling.

 

Spraying the bare windows with washing up liquid, helps. But it's vile in the morning having to wipe the hundreds of dead flies off the window. Yuck!

 

Just like chard girls they are born pregnant

 

I can imagine, it's not nice clearing up hundreds of dead flies.

Hmmm I'm at a bit of a loss with this too. I'm wondering if they are in your cavity wall and coming through a crevice somewhere. The only other thing you can do is ask a pest control company for advice, they may have some ideas.

 

That's like Kidderminster girls as well then

 

@Sheal

Funny as they're in the dining room too, and bathroom, but not so many. I would have thought greenfly and aphids in general have had their day by mid October.

Seems not.

I asked pest control and was given a quote of £250 with a £90 call out charge.

I think I will use the fairy liquid for now. Thanks.

 

Have you a decent Nursery/Garden Center near you you could get some advice from ?
Probably a family run/independent business rather than a chain, I think they're only interested in selling you something.