Has my neighbour killed his girlfriend?

[Applespider]

I've suddenly been infested by bluebottles (blowflies for the US contingent)
I've probably seen about one a month for the past 6 years in the house but today there have been about 50 or 60 crawling/buzzing around the place. My fly swat (which I bought for decorative purposes - it's an Alessi one with a face) has never seen so much use... I think I've got them now!

But where did they come from? My house is clean enough that there's been nothing hanging around my flat for maggots to feed and grow on. Which makes me wonder when was the last time I saw my neighbour's girlfriend... :eek:

[faintember]

I've suddenly been infested by bluebottles (blowflies for the US contingent)
I've probably seen about one a month for the past 6 years in the house but today there have been about 50 or 60 crawling/buzzing around the place. My fly swat (which I bought for decorative purposes - it's an Alessi one with a face) has never seen so much use... I think I've got them now!

But where did they come from? My house is clean enough that there's been nothing hanging around my flat for maggots to feed and grow on. Which makes me wonder when was the last time I saw my neighbour's girlfriend... :eek:
I have no clue, but i wouldnt go next door to borrow a cup of sugar. :p

[MongoTheGeek]

I've suddenly been infested by bluebottles (blowflies for the US contingent)
I've probably seen about one a month for the past 6 years in the house but today there have been about 50 or 60 crawling/buzzing around the place. My fly swat (which I bought for decorative purposes - it's an Alessi one with a face) has never seen so much use... I think I've got them now!

But where did they come from? My house is clean enough that there's been nothing hanging around my flat for maggots to feed and grow on. Which makes me wonder when was the last time I saw my neighbour's girlfriend... :eek:

I am used to calling them bluebottles here.

Maybe he did. Ever hear the song "Garbage Cans" by Artifical Joy Club?

Most likely its a 'coon or possum which crawled in and died somewhere.

[skunk]

I've suddenly been infested by bluebottles (blowflies for the US contingent)
I've probably seen about one a month for the past 6 years in the house but today there have been about 50 or 60 crawling/buzzing around the place. My fly swat (which I bought for decorative purposes - it's an Alessi one with a face) has never seen so much use... I think I've got them now!

But where did they come from? My house is clean enough that there's been nothing hanging around my flat for maggots to feed and grow on. Which makes me wonder when was the last time I saw my neighbour's girlfriend... :eek:Sounds like you're getting ready to play Grace Kelly in Rear Window....
:eek:

[Applespider]

Most likely its a 'coon or possum which crawled in and died somewhere.

Unlikely in the middle of London. ;)

I am wondering though whether some of the little bluetits (birds) that were nesting in my outer kitchen wall didn't make it. But I've seen lots of young bluetits flying around but not Vanessa...

[Doctor Q]

Do have a cat or dog? I wonder if letting a pet sniff around (their sense of smell being better than ours) might identify something that is attracting bugs.

[exemacs]

it would be pretty funny if your neighbour was to read this :p

[MongoTheGeek]

it would be pretty funny if your neighbour was to read this :p

Even funnier (in a grim sorta way) if Vanessa really was drawing the flies...

[Mr. Anderson]

Well, if you don't have possums and coons, rats are always good, or even mice. You should see if other neighbors are having the problem, or if its just localized...

D

[Leareth]

That many blowflies is not enough for a human,
when humans decompose and maggots feast on them there a thousands of flies around the place especially in a building or urban area.
Forensic entomology is an academic hobby of mine
http://www.sfu.ca/~ganderso/forensicentomology.htm for those interested :rolleyes:

[MacRy]

....and you wondered what that large thudding noise from next door was a few weeks back.... ;)

[MacDawg]

Sounds like you're getting ready to play Grace Kelly in Rear Window....
:eek:

Exactly what I was thinking!
What an awesome movie.
Hitchcock was a genius.
And they don't make movies like that anymore!



Woof, Woof - Dawg

[Savage Henry]

Bout ten years ago I worked in an office, 8 stories high, cheaply built in the architecture aesthetic-free decade of the seventies. Each window was a vast 5' by 5' clumsily fastened panel of double glazing. Every summer we'd have problems with bluebottles and nothing was done until the condition of the windows got so bad the flies would lay their eggs in the rotting sealants. The eggs in a couple of windows started to hatch and worked their way in between the panels. The flies did not take long to become full grown and too large to escape through the teensie panel hole from whence theiy came. So trapped in a double glazed window, they procreated, laid eggs, died, hatched, procreated, laid eggs, died, hatched, ad infinitum. By the time the mound of decaying calliphora vicina reached halfway up the window, the infestation experts were brought in.

Just thought I'd share that with everyone.

And it's probably just steenkin garbujj (http://www.devonline.gov.uk/index/information_and_services/environmental_health/pollution/eh-pollution-pest_control/eh-pollution-house-flies.htm) outside a window or summink.

[MacRy]

Bout ten years ago I worked in an office, 8 stories high, cheaply built in the architecture aesthetic-free decade of the seventies. Each window was a vast 5' by 5' clumsily fastened panel of double glazing. Every summer we'd have problems with bluebottles and nothing was done until the condition of the windows got so bad the flies would lay their eggs in the rotting sealants. The eggs in a couple of windows started to hatch and worked their way in between the panels. The flies did not take long to become full grown and too large to escape through the teensie panel hole from whence theiy came. So trapped in a double glazed window, they procreated, laid eggs, died, hatched, procreated, laid eggs, died, hatched, ad infinitum. By the time the mound of decaying calliphora vicina reached halfway up the window, the infestation experts were brought in.

What a beautiful and touching story ;)

[skunk]

Just thought I'd share that with everyone.Thanks a bunch.

[munkle]

Just thought I'd share that with everyone.


Should have just got Damien Hirst to sign it, declare it as a stark meditation on mortality and you could have made millions!!!! :p

[Applespider]

By the time the mound of decaying calliphora vicina reached halfway up the window, the infestation experts were brought in.

Eeesh... that's horrible! Mum's down visiting so haven't been online much this weekend. There have been less than 10 flies today so hopefully it was a one-off. My neighbours are away this weekend so haven't been able to ask if they're affected - obviously still no sign of Vanessa although good to know she'd likely have produced more.

Incidentally though if there was an Olympic medal for flyswatting, I'd have won it this morning. Fly circling around kitchen, whacked with flyswat beautifully centred, splatted across kitchen, down the gap in the sash window and outside. Perfect 10... it was immensely satisfying! :D

[superbovine]

Eeesh... that's horrible! Mum's down visiting so haven't been online much this weekend. There have been less than 10 flies today so hopefully it was a one-off. My neighbours are away this weekend so haven't been able to ask if they're affected - obviously still no sign of Vanessa although good to know she'd likely have produced more.

Incidentally though if there was an Olympic medal for flyswatting, I'd have won it this morning. Fly circling around kitchen, whacked with flyswat beautifully centred, splatted across kitchen, down the gap in the sash window and outside. Perfect 10... it was immensely satisfying! :D

your in the UK, but at here you can call the city goverment office and there is usually ppl charge of investigating things like this and other things like abandomn cars, poisonous plants in someone yard, etc etc.

[crap freakboy]

That many blowflies is not enough for a human,
when humans decompose and maggots feast on them there a thousands of flies around the place especially in a building or urban area.
Forensic entomology is an academic hobby of mine
http://www.sfu.ca/~ganderso/forensicentomology.htm for those interested :rolleyes:


Do you do childrens parties?

[skunk]

obviously still no sign of Vanessa although good to know she'd likely have produced more.Maybe there's only a bit of her left...
:eek: :D

[skunk]

your in the UK, but at here you can call the city goverment office and there is usually ppl charge of investigating things like this and other things like abandomn cars, poisonous plants in someone yard, etc etc.We do have a few primitive services here. They're not likely to send a fully-armed SWAT team with ABC kit, but we usually muddle through, somehow.

[neildmitchell]

Probably some animal or something somwhere has kicked it, or its breed season for the bugs. In California, ants are a problem twice a year, it has something to do with water
If it was your neighbors girlfriend, you would smell something

You might want to call an exterminator, I saw a bug show on the discovery channel, a woman in England had a HUGE nest of flies in her attic. harmless but NASTY

your post Reminded me of the scene in ..?Cats Eye? ?Twilight Zone? ?Tales from the Crypt? Where the guy lives in a completely sterile bug free enviroment, the man has such a fear of insects that he is eventualy killed my roaches that invade his apartment, or has tricked himself into believing that he has been invaded by roaches.

[Lyle]

your post Reminded me of the scene in ..?Cats Eye? ?Twilight Zone? ?Tales from the Crypt? Where the guy lives in a completely sterile bug free enviroment, the man has such a fear of insects that he is eventualy killed my roaches that invade his apartment, or has tricked himself into believing that he has been invaded by roaches...I think that was one of the stories in Creepshow.

[glosterseagul]

ok. There are a lot of clever and witty comments here....

I suggest you go borrow that cup of sugar and report back. Maybe She is ok and the hot weather ..... :o

[Daveway]

Here is a helpful article: Clink (http://www.deathonline.net/decomposition/corpse_fauna/flies/blowfly_intro.htm)

http://www.deathonline.net/decomposition/images/250/c_stygia1.jpg
Blowflies can pick up faint traces of the odour of decay and can fly up to 20 km from their birth-place in search of a suitable corpse in which to lay their eggs.
BINGO!

[Flying Llama]

Heh, and I thought I was clicking this link to find another strange story about you really thinking your neighbor killed his girlfriend.... ˆ-ˆ

llama :rolleyes:

[Don't panic]

Bout ten years ago I worked in an office, 8 stories high, cheaply built in the architecture aesthetic-free decade of the seventies. Each window was a vast 5' by 5' clumsily fastened panel of double glazing. Every summer we'd have problems with bluebottles and nothing was done until the condition of the windows got so bad the flies would lay their eggs in the rotting sealants. The eggs in a couple of windows started to hatch and worked their way in between the panels. The flies did not take long to become full grown and too large to escape through the teensie panel hole from whence theiy came. So trapped in a double glazed window, they procreated, laid eggs, died, hatched, procreated, laid eggs, died, hatched, ad infinitum. By the time the mound of decaying calliphora vicina reached halfway up the window, the infestation experts were brought in.
.
but what did they feed on?

[absolut_mac]

Perfect 10... it was immensely satisfying! :D

True, but oh soooo messy :eek:

By the way, who is Vanessa?

Edit: And I ditto that about borrowing some sugar, or bread, or anything edible.

[skunk]

By the way, who is Vanessa?"Who was Vanessa?"

[Leareth]

Do you do childrens parties?

can do but kids won't be the same...
you should see what I can do with one tooth...

FYI : during a warm summer +20 degrees celsius, fly maggots can turn a human body into mostly skeleton in as little as three days... depends on how much clothing the person was wearing, were they buried, underwater etc.
so if you want to get rid of a body a nice open field on a warm day will get rid of most of the useful evidence...not that anyone needs this info ;)

[Applespider]

Update: Still no sign of Vanessa - and my neighbour, her boyfriend, has been keeping weird hours so the 'cup of sugar' plan hasn't had any opportunity yet.

The good news is that there are no more bluebottles appearing. Last night I got home and there were none - phew! Course, now having read that a corpse can be stripped of flesh in 3 days (and it's been closer to 30 this weekend), the timing is still about right! :eek:

[emw]

I can't wait to see the resolution of this one. They probably broke up, and the guy's a slob and just left something laying around that attracted the flies.

But do keep us posted.

[absolut_mac]

Update: Still no sign of Vanessa - and my neighbour, her boyfriend, has been keeping weird hours so the 'cup of sugar' plan hasn't had any opportunity yet.

Who is (or perhaps was) Vanessa? Your neighbor's pet?

[Applespider]

Who is (or perhaps was) Vanessa? Your neighbor's pet?

My neighbour's live-in girlfriend... :eek:

[skunk]

Who is (or perhaps was) Vanessa? Your neighbor's pet?Perhaps more like the neighbor's petfood...
:eek: :eek:

[sacear]

So, Applespider, any news updates on Vanessa?
Have you seen her yet or is she still curiously absent?

[Applespider]

So, Applespider, any news updates on Vanessa?
Have you seen her yet or is she still curiously absent?

Still haven't seen her... I did hear someone thudding around to loud music the other night which may have been an attempt at aerobics which I doubt her boyfriend would do.

The bluebottles have vanished completely...