Get Rid of Flies 

Good hygiene and elimination of foodstuffs, organic matter and animal excreta are vital to the control of flies.

Flies are almost a mandatory sight in Australia, whether in the bush or the city or the seaside.
Although a few flies may be of benefit to nature more often than not flies are a nuisance pest affecting human lifestyles. Diseases such as typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea, amoebic dysentery, giardiasis and worms (pin and tape) are spread mechanically by flies.

There are many different species of flies, in fact about 150,000, but they all belong to the Diptera order (two-wings). This order is divided into two sub-orders, Nematocera and Brachycera. Brachycera has the most species.

Generally, wings are transparent with obvious veins and the mouth parts are adapted for sucking and/or penetrating purposes. Flies have a large mobile head with bulging eyes and short antennae, a large mesothorax, one pair of forewings and a pair of reduced hind wings called halteres. The forewings are the only wings used in flight. There are a few types of flies that are wingless.

The four stages of development are: eggs, larva, pupa and adult. Most people would recognize the larval stage of the fly species. Maggots are legless, cylinder shape and soft in body structure. They possess a very small head. Most have the ability to move and live in food fluids and damp locations. Flesh flies deposit living larvae, however, all the females of other fly families lay eggs, either individually or in clusters.

• House flies (family Muscidae) vary from 5-8 mm long with a dull grey thorax and abdomen
• Blow flies (family Calliphoridae) are also 11- 13 mm or larger and vary in colour from black, blue, green and bronze
• Fruit flies (family Tephritidae) are always found around ripening fruit whereas the Vinegar fly is found in decaying fruit. The Fruit fly is an important pest to the commercial industries and can cause much economical damage if unchecked. The adults feed on sap, nectar, honeydew and droppings
• Flesh flies (family Sarcophagidae) are larger at 11-13 mm long with a striped thorax, a patterned abdomen with or without a red/brown tip
• Female March flies (family Tabanidae) are blood-sucking because they require protein for their egg development
• Robber Flies are so strong that they can incapacitate their victim by holding them down while they aspirate the internal fluids.

Preventative Measures

• Cracks and crevices should be sealed to remove potential breeding sites
• The use of screens and chemical control with sprays or baits will all help safeguard your home
• In commercial situations, air curtains and ultraviolet lights may be installed and fogging with pyrethrins will be immediately successful in eliminating adult flies

Are Mosquitoes Bugging You?  

These annoying insects pose a greater threat than an early end to your outdoor entertaining – they are also an extremely efficient means of transmitting a variety of diseases

Australian summers are commonly regarded as ‘mosquito season’, when heavy rainfalls and humid conditions form perfect breeding conditions. Adult mosquitoes both have a long proboscis which the males use to feed on nectar. The female, however, feeds on blood which leads to the transmission of disease. In Australia, instances of mosquito related disease are mostly isolated to the northern tropical regions but various species can act as carriers for serious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and filariasi and the Ross River virus in humans as well encephalitis in horses and heartworm in dogs. Mosquito borne malaria is one of the worlds’ major infectious diseases, killing around two to three million people each year.
Australia is host to over 270 species of ‘mossies’ which start their lifecycle as aquatic larvae until the adults emerge as little as one week later, in optimum conditions. The mosquito can exploit a range of fresh and salt water sources – natural or artificial - for breeding habitats.

Repellents, coils and space sprays like aerosol insecticides offer temporary relief in mosquito inhabited environments but due to the rapid life cycle of the mosquito, targeting adult insects with industrial insecticide resistance can be a problem. The most effective method of control for mosquitoes is to break the breeding cycle before adults develop.
For Scientific Pest Management^® technicians, control of mosquitoes presents environmental concerns when these insects are encountered in natural waterways and other important aquatic environments. Our technicians aim to treat mosquito problems at the source where possible and alternatively we can treat some mosquitoes on the wing with a technique called fogging.

Preventative Measures

To further increase the effectiveness of treatments, the following measures can be taken to help eliminate mosquito breeding habitats:

• Dispose of tin cans, old tyres, buckets and other rubbish that can act as a container to collect and hold water
• Do not allow water to accumulate at the base of flowerpots or in pet dishes for more than two days
• Clean debris from rain gutters and remove any standing water under or around structures, or on flat roofs
• Check around taps and air conditioner units for leaks or puddles and repair them immediately
• Introduce top feeding predacious minnows (appropriately called mosquito fish) into ornamental ponds or privately owned waterways
• Change water in birdbaths and wading pools at least once a week
• Remove, drain or fill tree holes and stumps with mortar
• Eliminate seepage from cisterns and septic tanks
• Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days