“I’m definitely seeing more blowflies this year, it hasn’t really warmed up enough yet in October to see large outbreaks of flies, but it’s definitely changed the last week or so and I’m seeing flies start to increase - but not to summer proportions yet.
“Blowflies don’t gather as such in rooms, they are peskier and buzz frantically around a room, banging in into the window or wall, so it’s more of a nuisance fly to be fair.”
Foulkes said the best way to beat the flies this summer in Hawke’s Bay is to get your house sprayed. While it won’t totally rid your home of the buzzing nuisances, it will reduce numbers.
However, he said basic hygiene is the easiest way to fight the flies, including keeping bins clean and away from your house, freezing unwanted meat scraps until rubbish bin day and to clean up dog faeces, as flies love these and is a “big cause for a higher population of flies around homes.”
Yet, like most in Hawke’s Bay will know, when the heat hits the flies aren’t far behind.
“Flies love waste and decaying matter. Damp and humid conditions also play a part in establishing breeding grounds. Heat and dampness coming out of spring into summer always sees the onset of flies
“The weather has a huge impact on all types of fly populations, as the hotter it gets the higher the increase in a fly’s metabolic rate is. Higher temperatures will see flies die much slower. We often see this around December and January when its hotter.”
