ACTION is being taken following concerns from residents living in the Bettws area of Bridgend County Borough that fly numbers are on the rise.
Environmental health officers from the Shared Regulatory Service have launched an investigation and are in the process of visiting numerous locations throughout the area to collect samples for analysis and determine whether any may be a potential source.
The complaints follow a previous rise in common house fly numbers which occurred in the Bettws area during 2024. While on that occasion the fly numbers reduced naturally before a source could be identified, officers have cautioned that the current increase may not involve the same species of fly.
Councillor Martyn Jones, local member for Bettws and Cabinet Member for Education and Young People, said: “The Shared Regulatory Service have taken prompt action following new complaints of flies entering houses in larger numbers than normal, and are in the process of carrying out a full investigation.
“As part of this, they have received anecdotal evidence that the flies may be of a different type to the common house flies which were reported a few years ago. If this proves to be correct, it would suggest a different source may be responsible.
“Numerous samples have been collected and officers are seeking to determine what type of fly may be involved, whether the rise in numbers has occurred naturally or if it is down to human interaction.
“Once this has been confirmed, it will help efforts to identify the source so that appropriate action can be taken.
“I want to reassure residents that this matter is being taken very seriously, that environmental health officers are actively looking for the cause, and that the investigations are ongoing.
“If anyone has any information that could support their enquiries, please pass it on and help us to prevent this unpleasant problem from reoccurring.”
Shared Regulatory Services provide Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan councils with essential services that include environmental health, trading standards and licensing. You can find out more by visiting the SRS page at the council website.
For more information about dealing with flies, visit the British Pest Control Association website.
