Fly Infestation Disrupts Daily Life in Llanelli Seaside Community
Buddug George, a regular attendee at the weekly Seaside Sports and Social Club coffee morning, has adapted to the ongoing fly infestation by carrying a fly swatter along with her purse and phone to manage the persistent problem.
Residents in the seaside community report that the fly infestation is so severe that they are unable to prepare food and must keep their windows closed even during hot weather.
"I like cooking and baking but I've had to stop it," said Gill Phillips. "As soon as I get any food out the flies swarm."
Local shops near the affected areas in Llanelli have reportedly run out of fly spray. Many locals suspect the infestation is linked to a nearby metal recycling plant.
Carmarthenshire Council and Wales' environmental regulator are investigating the situation. However, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) stated it does not currently believe the AMG Resources plant is contributing to the increased fly activity.
The Seaside Sports and Social Club has used eight 2-foot-long sticky fly traps within 24 hours due to the infestation.
The recycling plant denies being the source of the flies and asserts that pest control measures are in place.
The fly problem was initially reported in 2018, but residents claim that pest control efforts have been ineffective, with the flies returning during hot weather, particularly amid current heatwaves.
More than 800 residents have joined a local Facebook group dedicated to the fly infestation, reporting issues in the Seaside, Morfa, and Tyisha areas of Llanelli.
"They're landing on me as I try to eat food, they land on my food which puts me off," added Gill, 69.
Gill Phillips has invested in various products to mitigate the infestation, including an electronic fly trap purchased from Amazon.
"I used to make Sunday dinner every week... but when you're trying to make food, the flies are there. It stops me cooking. Half the time you've got to buy takeaway meals and then you've got to try and put them on the plate while the flies are landing on them.
"You just can't get rid of them. They are everywhere. A lot of people don't want to live around here anymore."
Phillips, a grandmother of nine who underwent a triple heart bypass a few years ago and has experienced poor health this summer, has kept her doors and windows closed during the heatwaves.
She has spent money on a £30 electronic fly trap and fly nets for her doors to help keep her dog, Glyn, cool.
"Why should we have to go out and pay for all this stuff?" said Gill, who lives on one of the worst-affected streets in Llanelli.
"I called environmental health, they came out and took some photos but didn't give us anything."
At the Seaside Sports and Social Club, patrons have resorted to placing drinks mats over their beverages to protect them from flies.
Nearby, Cheryl Williams, who manages the clubhouse, reported using eight 2-foot-long sticky fly traps within 24 hours.
"Last week we were having to put beer mats over our coffee cups to keep the flies out," said Cheryl.
"You can't sit down to eat without flies landing on your plate."
Garry Rees-Andrews, publican at The New Cornish Arms, has assigned a staff member to monitor the premises for flies throughout shifts to maintain fly-free seating areas, kitchen, and toilets.
"I've just bought an air conditioning unit because we can't open the doors in the kitchen because of the flies and the heat in there is incredible," he said.
"It's getting to biblical proportions now, it's like the plague. We're all trying so hard. It's so frustrating."
Garry begins work at 7 a.m. daily to disinfect floors, surfaces, and chairs.
"I'd have more patience if it was just this year, but it keeps going on," he said. "We have to do something."
Adam Holding, owner of The Platform cafe and cookery school in Llanelli, has placed fly traps around his establishment.
"We're trying to do what we can to mitigate these flies, it is quite a big pest," he said.
"The amount of flies we've got on these traps is unreal."
"Paying for fly mitigation measures for my cafe and bar isn't a good thing for us to be wasting money on," Holding added, "but it has to be done to keep our customers."
"We've got to keep our doors closed, the fly nets are up so it doesn't look like we're open most of the time which is a bit of an issue."
Some residents and business owners express frustration over what they perceive as insufficient action from authorities.
"The council know but they never address it," said Garry during a busy lunch service at The New Cornish Arms.
"They knew it was happening last year and then all of the rest of the year, when it was cool, they didn't do anything and now the flies are back.
"I pay my business rates, which aren't cheap. I pay my council tax, which isn't cheap, and you expect a service."
Residents have also suggested that the source of the flies could be local drains, which they claim are not cleaned as regularly as before.
Carmarthenshire Council stated there is no evidence to support drains as the cause and confirmed its highway drain cleaning program remains on schedule.
The council has investigated complaints as they have been received and, along with NRW, is prioritizing the investigation.
"We understand the concerns raised by residents and businesses in parts of Llanelli regarding increased fly activity and appreciate the frustration this is causing," said Councillor Aled Vaughan Owen of Carmarthenshire Council.
"We would encourage anyone experiencing issues with increased fly activity in the area to report them to us, as this information helps officers monitor the situation and target investigation activity.
"Investigations remain ongoing and it is important that any conclusions are evidence-based. However, residents can be reassured that significant officer time and resources are being devoted to this issue."
