Flies

[t60]

Ok, I´m just going to ask this, what is the best way to cope with the flies in Australia?

 

Here in Spain, they are quite seasonal, but when it´s their time they are a real menace. Whenever you go out everyone carries a fly swat.

 

We´re off round Australia in April 2013 and I´ve been reading some people´s blogs where they´ve been complaining about these flying pests esp on the west coast side., where they´ve said about the flies getting in your ears eyes nose and mouth. :eek:

 

If that´s the norm, it seems like we´ll need a bee-keepers hat each!:confused:

 

How do you locals cope, ...please don´t tell me hat with dangling corks:)

 

Sandy in Spain

[Jacs]

Flies are seasonal here too, you notice them in the hot months around Summer. By April there shouldn't be too many around unless its an unusually hot autumn here. You will get them sometimes, but just a quick swat with your hand will send them on their way.

[GradUT]

The only place I ever had a problem with flies in the month of April was at Uluru. They were really out in force. Some folks wore nets over their hats, but I just swatted them.

[MalibuCA]

We will be in Australia from mid-December to mid-January. What should we expect with flies at that time, and what can we do to make them leave us alone?

 

Thanks,

Shelley

[room010]

They won't bother you while at sea but in hot weather they can be a nuisance. They are attracted to moisture so eyes/mouth/nose are popular targets for them. There are insect repellants creams/sprays available but they aren't very effective IMO. Either swat them away using the "Aussie Wave" or get a net to wear over your hat. Not elegant but very effective.

[cjm66]

I agree with Room 1010 - improvise a bee keeper hat with some veiling. In any case you should wear a hat with a wide all round brim to protect yourself from the sun - a baseball style cap or visor will not be enough protection for your neck or ears if you are outdoors in the summer sun. Do not tie the under chin knot on your net too tight, you will want to loosen it for more air circulation when the flies are not buzzing. They are very seasonal and localised so you could be lucky and miss them entirely. Colleen

[MMDown Under]

Depends where you are going, as there are "city" flies, along the Coast, which don't bother you and "outback" flies, which drive you crazy, sticking to the corner of your mouth, eyes, etc.

 

The only time we have been really bothered by "outback" flies, along the Coast, was camped on the beach in South Australia. There I found my green mosquito head net (Moustiquaire), which you can wear over your head or over your broad brimmed hat, became a lifesaver!

 

As Sandy in Spain said "No dangling corks" please.

[room010]

You haven't experienced Australia until you've inhaled a sandfly :D

[MMDown Under]

You haven't experienced Australia until you've inhaled a sandfly :D

 

I wasn't going to mention the fly I found in my teeth (after sleeping with my mouth open on an outback verandah). Didn't want to put our visitors off altogether! :)

 

A French visitor thought her future outback SIL didn't like her, as he mumbled, with his mouth closed, when speaking to her. I told her that was just to keep the flies out!! :)

[cassamanda]

They won't bother you while at sea but in hot weather they can be a nuisance. They are attracted to moisture so eyes/mouth/nose are popular targets for them. There are insect repellants creams/sprays available but they aren't very effective IMO. Either swat them away using the "Aussie Wave" or get a net to wear over your hat. Not elegant but very effective.

The repellents with Tea Tree oil in them seem to work best.

[dizzy1948]

Here in the West - the flies ARE a pest. The Aussie wave is about it. Even if you spray - they'll still have a go. In the city you are pretty well ok - near the beach - well - keep waving. Alfresco dining at the beach is almost a game - one hand waving - one hand eating. They love a barbie........don't bother with a hat with corks, they like them as well - sort of an ariel assault course for them. I know you won't like it when I say you'll get used to them - but you will. When using expletives to try to get rid of them - they go tell their friends..and back they come...in force. Drink out of bottles that you can screw the top back on. Put a napkin over an open drink can - then pray the wind doesn't blow the napkin away. :p

 

How do I know this.............I live here :eek:

[t60]

Here in Spain I have sort of lacy doilies backed with mosquito netting and edged in beads to weight them down over glasses and jugs etc (I make my own but you can get them on ebay) These are too girlie for OH so he has a coffee lid weighted with stone to keep the little so and so´sout of our wine glasses. No visit to a friend is complete without taking your own fly swat along, then counting your number of kills at the end of the night!

 

Sandy in Spain

[MalibuCA]

Ewww! Sounds like a miserable problem, but I guess it's just part of the atmosphere and experience. We will be staying at the Sea Temple Resort and Spa in Port Douglas - snorkeling the GBR, Kuranda Skyway, Daintree Rainforest. Should I expect to be attacked?

 

Thanks,

Shelley

[MMDown Under]

Ewww! Sounds like a miserable problem, but I guess it's just part of the atmosphere and experience. We will be staying at the Sea Temple Resort and Spa in Port Douglas - snorkeling the GBR, Kuranda Skyway, Daintree Rainforest. Should I expect to be attacked?

 

Thanks,

Shelley

 

No. I've never had a problem in that region.

[MMDown Under]

Here in Spain I have sort of lacy doilies backed with mosquito netting and edged in beads to weight them down over glasses and jugs etc (I make my own but you can get them on ebay) These are too girlie for OH so he has a coffee lid weighted with stone to keep the little so and so´sout of our wine glasses. No visit to a friend is complete without taking your own fly swat along, then counting your number of kills at the end of the night!

 

Sandy in Spain

 

We have them here, also hand made. We also have light net covers, with weights on the hems, to throw over the food to keep the flies away, before everyone starts eating.

[room010]

To clarify, these aren't vast squadrons of lumbering plump bluebottle flies, they are much smaller and more nimble little sand flies. Still a nuisance though. Welcome to Australia ;)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Theres no problem....

You just have to practice and perfect the....

 

 

 

 

 

[MalibuCA]

Thank goodness for location, location, location! Thanks for explaining.

 

Shelley

[t60]

I´ve found some cheapie hats with netting on ebay, but can´t really see how fine the netting is, so might h ave to have a go a making ny own.

 

Good tip about having a hat with brim to shade ears and neck as up to now OH always has worn a cap. Perhaps I might add a neck/ear panel

 

Sandy in Spain

[room010]

Yes, a wide brimmed sunhat is an absolute necessity, not a fashion statement. Also bring plenty of SPF30+ or higher sun screen and use it liberally and often. If you walk around looking like a sunburned lobster you instantly identify yourself as a clueless tourist. We take melanoma very seriously and so should our visitors. Remember the sun safety slogan: Slip (on a shirt) Slop (on the sunscreen) Slap (on a hat).

[kate59]

I have the mozzie head nets that go over our akubra hats when we go bush or camping. Inland Australia is the worst for flies but it does depend on the weather - if really cold they hibernate, unfortunately in November to about April they will be around and the other months if it is warm in that place.

 

The insect repellant sometimes works but I hate the stuff so prefer the mesh to keep out the flies, sandflies and the mozzies so you don't have to worry about getting them in your eyes and ears - you just learn to wear them.

 

The other thing to be aware of - if you have flies on your back and not on your face then don't do the Aussie wave - you just move them around back to your face. If they are happy on your back or legs or upper arms just let them be as long as you have no open wounds - they are doing you no harm only catching a lift to elsewhere. It seems that overseas tourists get told to wave about and the flies just get stirred up - we leave them on our backs (sometimes had over 20) and people just want to swat them which we have to tell them to leave them alone since they are not in our eyes or ears.;)

[GradUT]

Ewww! Sounds like a miserable problem, but I guess it's just part of the atmosphere and experience. We will be staying at the Sea Temple Resort and Spa in Port Douglas - snorkeling the GBR, Kuranda Skyway, Daintree Rainforest. Should I expect to be attacked?

 

Thanks,

Shelley

 

I've been to PD five times and never had a problem with flies.

[MalibuCA]

That's GradUT. That's so good to know!

 

Shelley

[kate59]

We have probably given you worse case senarios so things can only be better but I would prefer to be honest with people than say there is no flies and they get covered in them.

 

Have a great time - we love Australia - bugs and all

[Globaliser]

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