Wet Summer Brings a Biblical Plague of Millions of Flies to New Zealand
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Pastor Dale Morgan
Mar 25, 2010, 2:27:09 AM3/25/10
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Plagues, Pestilences and Diseases
Wet Summer Brings a Biblical Plague of Millions of Flies to New Zealand
By TANYA KATTERNS - The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 25/03/2010
ROBERT KITCHIN/The Dominion Post
UNWANTED CONGREGATION: Exterminator Johnathan Brewer begins to "fog" a Carterton chapel to kill an infestation of cluster flies.
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Millions of Clustering flies have invaded parts of the country in Biblical plague-like proportions.
Throughout the lower North Island millions of the flies have been congregating, buzzing and infesting homes over the past few months.
The worst-hit areas appear to be Wairarapa, Manawatu and Horowhenua. The wet and humid summer is being blamed on the outbreak.
Frustrated homeowners, with no defence aside from fly spray and vacuum cleaners, have been forced to call in the exterminators.
Liz Pollock, who lives at Gladstone near Carterton, awoke one morning to find the outside of her home "looking like a carcass".
"It really was quite disgusting and the noise they made was horrendous," Ms Pollock said.
"You could hardly see the sides of the house but it was alive and moving in a black haze."
Cluster flies, named because of their ability to communicate with each other using aggregate pheromones – a scent to summon themselves into "clusters" – are a growing phenomenon in New Zealand, scientists say.
AgResearch entomologist Scott Hardwick said plenty of rain this summer had created perfect breeding conditions as the larvae fed off earthworms.
Infestations went in cycles affecting different regions in different years, he said. Once they hatched and autumn arrived, they went in search of warm sheds and houses.
"There can be as many as 10,000 flies in one house and none in houses on either side. That's because they have the "perfume" signalling system that sends messages to other flies which says, `Hey, it's all pretty cool here and a cosy spot to spend cold nights'."
In the Wairarapa, the invasion was one of the worst seen in more than a decade, pest control experts said.
Flies to Go exterminator Dave Green said in one house, he heard them before he got to the front doorstep.
"It was an empty house on the market and a real estate agent had gone to show someone through but they couldn't even walk through the door. The flies had overtaken the house."
All seven businesses dealing with pest control had been run off their feet, with work banked up.
However, Mr Hardwick said pest-control treatment was only a temporary solution and there was no way to wipe out cluster flies permanently.
"Once the spray wears off, if your house is still attractive to the cluster fly as a place to keep warm in winter, then they will just keep flying into there."
Wet Summer Brings a Biblical Plague of Millions of Flies to New Zealand
By TANYA KATTERNS - The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 25/03/2010
ROBERT KITCHIN/The Dominion Post
UNWANTED CONGREGATION: Exterminator Johnathan Brewer begins to "fog" a Carterton chapel to kill an infestation of cluster flies.
Relevant offers
Millions of Clustering flies have invaded parts of the country in Biblical plague-like proportions.
Throughout the lower North Island millions of the flies have been congregating, buzzing and infesting homes over the past few months.
The worst-hit areas appear to be Wairarapa, Manawatu and Horowhenua. The wet and humid summer is being blamed on the outbreak.
Frustrated homeowners, with no defence aside from fly spray and vacuum cleaners, have been forced to call in the exterminators.
Liz Pollock, who lives at Gladstone near Carterton, awoke one morning to find the outside of her home "looking like a carcass".
"It really was quite disgusting and the noise they made was horrendous," Ms Pollock said.
"You could hardly see the sides of the house but it was alive and moving in a black haze."
Cluster flies, named because of their ability to communicate with each other using aggregate pheromones – a scent to summon themselves into "clusters" – are a growing phenomenon in New Zealand, scientists say.
AgResearch entomologist Scott Hardwick said plenty of rain this summer had created perfect breeding conditions as the larvae fed off earthworms.
Infestations went in cycles affecting different regions in different years, he said. Once they hatched and autumn arrived, they went in search of warm sheds and houses.
"There can be as many as 10,000 flies in one house and none in houses on either side. That's because they have the "perfume" signalling system that sends messages to other flies which says, `Hey, it's all pretty cool here and a cosy spot to spend cold nights'."
In the Wairarapa, the invasion was one of the worst seen in more than a decade, pest control experts said.
Flies to Go exterminator Dave Green said in one house, he heard them before he got to the front doorstep.
"It was an empty house on the market and a real estate agent had gone to show someone through but they couldn't even walk through the door. The flies had overtaken the house."
All seven businesses dealing with pest control had been run off their feet, with work banked up.
However, Mr Hardwick said pest-control treatment was only a temporary solution and there was no way to wipe out cluster flies permanently.
"Once the spray wears off, if your house is still attractive to the cluster fly as a place to keep warm in winter, then they will just keep flying into there."
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