I-Team: Saugus Residents Blame Town For 'Disgusting' Fly Infestation
SAUGUS (CBS) - Homeowners in a cul-de-sac in Saugus say their homes are infested with tiny flies. Mary Dalrymple showed the I-Team pest strips covered with bugs, and choked back tears telling saying, "it's horrible we can't even eat in the house."
Annette Cafarella lives next door. "Whatever is not in here is in your food it's really disgusting," Cafarella said. "They're in the air, fall into our coffee. God knows how many we've eaten or drank."
Dalrymple says she's had two different exterminators come out to treat the pests at least six or seven times. But every time they come right back.
The property on Pemberly Drive backs up to town owned Fiske Brook and conservation land. Residents say it is overgrown and overrun with the flies that have made their way into the houses. They've complained to town hall but say they got nowhere.
"The whole thing is unsanitary," Cafarella said. "It's not something from in the homes because too many houses have it. All sit along the conservation land."
After WBZ contacted the town, the I-Team was there when the DPW came to take a look and recommended the brook area be cleaned out.
But residents say that hasn't helped and the problem got worse. So the I-Team went straight to town hall to the town manager's office who sent the health director John Fralick to talk to us.
At first he told he told the health department only got one complaint, he then said it had three. And at one point told us the owners were told to hire a pest control company before claiming the flies were not the same flies as what was in the brook.
"We can't identify any source from the town's side," Fralick said. "We've already dredged the brook and will flush the culvert behind the property."
So far, frustrated residents say despite promises from the town, nothing has been done to stop the infestation.
Dalrymple has grandchildren who live with her, calling the whole situation horrible. Families say the town has known about this problem for months and are concerned about possible health risks.
They say so far the town has not sprayed insecticide or cleaned out the brush where the bugs seem to be coming from.
