HORDE OF THE FLIES
Thousands of pesky insects send beachgoers running for cover
HOLIDAYMAKERS were forced off a popular North Wales beach by swarms of pesky flies.
Some families only lasted minutes on the sand before fleeing to safety.
Fly invasions have been reported on several beaches on the Llyn Peninsula, but Traeth Porthor (Whistling Sands) appeared to suffer the brunt.
Sunbathers complained of being pestered by “thousands” of insects and regulars said they had never seen it so bad there.
Sandflies are the most likely culprits, but some beachgoers said they looked like bluebottles.
What happened there is reminiscent of the great insect invasion of 1956 when hundreds of holidaymakers, waving newspapers, fled beaches on the North Wales coast.
On social media, lesser infestations were also reported at Llanbedrog and Porth Cariad beaches on Pen Llyn and at Towyn in Conwy. But it was Traeth Porthor that was abuzz with complaints.
One holidaymaker said: “It was full of flies. We left after five minutes.
“You couldn’t relax, there were thousands of them landing on you every few seconds. I’ve been before a few times and it’s never been that bad.”
Another woman who visited the beach a day earlier said the flies were “gross”.
A resident was also taken aback. “We live round the corner. Never seen it like that before,” she said.
“We had to come away; we only lasted five minutes.”
Sandflies are a catch-all term for a number of biting flies and midges. They are not uncommon, but in the hatching season numbers can increase rapidly and beaches around Britain are occasionally overwhelmed.
Last month, squadrons of little black and green flies forced residents to close windows in Porthcawl, South Wales.
In August 2022, a “biblical” swarm of flies descended on Blackpool beach during the town’s annual air show. It generated almost comic scenes as hundreds of beachgoers reached for hats, newspapers and even deckchairs in an attempt to swat them away.
Sandfly bites cause small, itchy red bumps that can last for up to a week.
One of the most celebrated insect invasions occurred on May 29, 1956.
Newspaper reports from the time recount how Rhyl was overwhelmed by swarms of what were later identified as rove beetles.
At the time, exceptionally dry weather was blamed: weeks without rain have produced similar conditions this year, perhaps explaining what happened at Traeth Porthor.
In recent days, fly complaints from the beach have tailed off, but the beach may not be out of the woods just yet.
One man reckoned the insects on Whistling Sands might be storm flies, also known as “thunder flies” and officially called thrips.
The insects’ common names stem from their tendency to swarm just before thunderstorms just what happened in North Wales this past weekend.
A number of experts and nature bodies were contacted for comment about the Traeth Porthor flies.