Huge rise in housefly numbers

Dennis Bouverie said there was more fly activity this summer. Photo / Andrew Warner

If you think there have been more flies around the Bay this summer you are right.

Pest control services have confirmed a lot more flies swarming around Tauranga properties the last few months as the recent warm wet weather has provided a perfect breeding ground for the flying insects.

Housefly. Photo / George Novak

Insideout Lawn Mowing and Pest Control Services owner Dennis Bouverie said there was more fly activity.

"With the record temperatures we have been having and the rain, it just seems to get their metabolism going and they just breed."

Mr Bouverie said the warm weather with recent rains and fast grass growth, meant more grass clippings were being dumped on gardens and properties - which was the perfect breeding location for flies.

"As soon as it starts to mulch down the flies hang around, I have been having to get rid of my clippings every day at the transfer station, and the flies around there with all the green waste at the moment are just horrendous."

Mr Bouverie, in his estimation based on what he had seen, said there was about 25 per cent more flies this summer compared to last.

He reckoned jobs involving fly extermination had gone up 5 to 7 per cent.

White-tail spiders, cockroaches and ants were also out in force this summer - but not unusually, he said.

"Ants are everywhere and are a continual problem - you can't get rid of them, only control them."

A1 Pest Control & Handyman Services Terry Haywood agreed there were more flies this season because of the hot, humid weather and estimated he had a few hundred more calls than usual because of it.

Mr Haywood said the season would die down by the end of April depending on how quickly temperatures dropped.

If conditions cooled, the flies would die off quicker, he said.

Mr Haywood said to avoid a fly infestation at your house, get rid of rubbish quickly, and remove garden waste.

Tauranga Pest Control director Karl Downes said his staff had to order more chemicals this year to deal with flies.

"The biggest problem is people not keeping their properties clean and clear of rubbish - anything that produces an odour will attract them.

"Keep clean, tidy and clutter free," he said.

Mr Downes had noted 20 per cent more calls about the flies situation too.

MetService Communications meteorologist Lisa Murray said February was warm across New Zealand in all the main centres, including Tauranga.

Fly facts:

* Houseflies pass through four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The life expectancy of a housefly is generally 15 to 30 days and depends upon temperature and living conditions. Flies dwelling in warm homes and laboratories develop faster and live longer than their counterparts in the wild.

* The housefly's brief life cycle allows them to multiply quickly if left uncontrolled. Houseflies are known to carry more than 100 diseases, including tuberculosis and cholera. They transmit diseases both by feeding and by carrying pathogens on their feet and mouths.

- www.orkin.com