In my cellar there is a small bricked off space between mine and next door's and neither of us can get into it.

A camera on a wire pushed through a gap in the bricks revealed an old chair, and a child's shoe, and not the rotting skeletons we hoped for feared.

However, every flaming year we have hoardes of bluebottles coming from it. We have "fogged" the house a couple of times but it looks like not much of the air is getting in or out, because it makes no difference.

Any idea what is going on, how they are surviving, and how we prevent it?

Dead rats Honey.

JK2006 wrote:
Dead rats Honey.

I was thinking that JK, you're more than a pretty face.

Have a sort out in the celler and clear up the best you can. If your you and husband are good at repairing brick work, then do it. Seal any cracks, go around the celler with a pencil and slide it in gaps if goes through any holes then a rodent can come through it these are called entry points.

Don't store any food there in a celler like pet food. There has to be a reason for flies in the celler in which would be a food source.

I had this problem myself.

Also lay rat traps you want the ones that kills them, if you trap them and release they will come back.

www.trap-anything.com/rats-in-the-cellar.html


For flies: hang fly paper around the celler, get a couple bug zapper lamps in the celler, cans of Raid. Essential oils also. brightstuffs.com/essential-oils-to-get-rid-of-flies/


Get yourself down a DIY shop or the B&M.

If you're brave enough, take out a few bricks to better access through the access point. Then you can see if are any animal remains.

Maybe install a small cellar window just for air after you done everything.

Our first thought was rats, but it has been going on for years and years and we have no sign of rats hooray.

The walls are more than two feet thick, and the "room" is on a lower level than the rest of it.

Could the bluebottles be carried in a stream or something? We have got a disused well in the garden so maybe it goes underneath?

Honey wrote:
Our first thought was rats, but it has been going on for years and years and we have no sign of rats hooray.

The walls are more than two feet thick, and the "room" is on a lower level than the rest of it.

Could the bluebottles be carried in a stream or something? We have got a disused well in the garden so maybe it goes underneath?

Could be Honey, sounds like a perfect rat run or for other pests. Use your camera to look at the structure. Or ask your water company or get a pump.


www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=...p;f=207&t=505061


forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1028...ll-in-back-garden/p3


www.lesspestsleicestershireandrutland.co.uk/flies

For time being use some Raid, fly zappers and fly paper. No harm calling a pest controller out also to look around.