At this time of the year, grey nomads tend to run into one of the few things that puts a serious dampener on their dream lifestyle … flies!
It’s probably something that’s said every summer but the word on the Lap is ‘They’re worse than ever this time around!’
While it may feel like the flying menaces appear out of nowhere, David Yeates – director of the Australian National Insect Collection at the CSIRO – says it’s just that we don’t always notice them.
“Insects are ectothermic – they’re cold blooded, and rely on ambient heat to get active,” he said. “When it’s cool and windy they’re less active, and when it rains they hide under the leaves to wait it out … as soon as the weather heats up they get moving and begin their population cycles.”
He says that if conditions are good their populations can build up quickly.
The combination of rain and warm weather has meant all insects – especially flies – have plenty of food, as well as warmth.
In Western Australia, the numbers of flies though have been reported as being historically high … and strong easterly winds are being blamed.
“Flies prefer hot, dry weather … they can be blown by the wind up to 300 kilometres in a day and they can fly under their own power up to five kilometres a day,” said the University of Western Australia Associate Professor, Theo Evans. “So with these really strong easterlies we have been having the last week or two, a lot of flies in the hotter, drier, eastern parts of Western Australia have been blown in to the western parts of our state.”
Associate Professor Evans said when the flies arrived in Perth from the easterlies, they would be looking for water to keep themselves alive – but there has not been a lot of water around.
“Flies seek out humans who act as mobile water drinking fountains for them … they are trying to find moisture, and that is why they go straight for our eyes, noses and mouths,” he said. “They are not smart creatures but smart enough to know that if they fly over the ocean instead to find water, they will probably die.”
Dr Cameron Webb, Medical Entomologist from UNSW and NSW Health Pathology has previously warned that flies can pose a health risk to travellers.
“Grey nomads can be particularly at risk of fly-borne bacteria as they’re often out of the city where flies can be abundant and have access to bacteria rich piles of animal waste,” said Dr Webb. “If stopping by the roadside in a rural region, they should be highly diligent in ensuring food is covered and flies kept at bay.”
The symptoms of illness caused by fly-borne pathogens can include stomach ache, diarrhoea, nausea, fever and headaches. While flies that land momentarily aren’t really a threat, it is the flies that land out of sight and wander about vomiting and pooping on food or a food preparation area that are of greater concern.
“It can be tough for grey nomads to properly screen their campervan, motorhome or caravan to stop flies squeezing in and visiting their food preparation areas,” said Dr Webb. “Food should be covered at all times and leftovers never left unattended for long before being packed away.”
Dr Webb says grey nomads should always travel with fly sprays – both knockdown and surface – but following basic food safety rules is just as important.
Nullarbor.
Port Gregory horrendous
Poeppel Corner at latitude 26° S and longitude 138° E is a corner of state boundaries in Australia, where the state of Queensland meets South Australia and the Northern Territory.
The flies were so bad that they actually crawled down drinking straws in a can of drink to get moisture – eating and drinking was impossible.
Bowenville near Dalby QLD
Karajini
Coppers Creek east of Windora . Tried to have a steak on the bbq and I swear as quick as I put it on the plate the bloody flies were trying to carry it away
Anywhere in W.A.
Mt isa and broken hill along with Uluru
Devils Marbles NT. Did not stay.