The flies are back
Summer's here and for some Gloucester residents that means one thing - hordes of flies.
For the past two years, clouds of flies have swarmed around the village of Hempsted between April and October making the lives of residents a misery. Every summer residents arm themselves with fly swats and sprays, but there were hopes that a Fly Action Plan might have saved them from being inundated again this year.
Fly numbers over the past few days, however, indicate that there may be a repeat performance of lat year's epidemic. Owner of the Hempsted Village Store Terry Tonks said: "Yesterday I had around 30 flies in my office, which is well over the normal and acceptable level."
It is a similar case for fellow shop owner Angela Stone who runs the Monk's Corner shop opposite the tip, who also said the problem was starting to become unbearable. Angela said: "I have had swarms of flies in my shop, which is effecting my business, especially as I handle food, and it is making life really difficult."
Local residents blame the landfill site at Hempsted where many believe the flies are breeding. Cory Environmental, the company that runs the tip, have now accepted some degree of the responsibility and following a residents meeting in March, have implemented a number of strategies in an attempt to keep the flies at bay.
The Fly Action Plan, was introduced in March and has set up weather monitoring stations and "fly pots", at strategic sites to identify the type of flies commonly found in the area and discover their breeding habits.
Some of the most prevelant types of fly found were the common, blue bottle and house fly, gnats and midges.
Adrian Judge, the company's general manager in Gloucestershire said: "We have also been covering waste a lot more this year and have a regular spraying regime." The problem has not yet escalated to the levels of previous years, but local people are fearful that this may be the start of a new epidemic.
Last year, Hempsted Primary School was plagued by the pests who were being blamed for childrens' stomach ailments.
Businesses closed early because their employees couldn't bear to work amongst thousands of buzzing flies and in 1999 the delicatessen at Tesco was shut down for health reasons. For further information or to report fly problems ring the Environmental Agency on (01684) 85 09 51.