flies

Doesn't pay to try and predict anything about flies - little buggers always take you by surprise - think its true to say they hate cold n frosty weather, but they probably hide up until the sun comes out - I have been plagued with them in places where others say they never saw one - all to do with "conditions prevailing". Some folks near the Simpson recently told me (on HF) that they were bad. In the Simpson itself, could be different.Love the bush - stuck in the city - help.

I just returned from a trip to Cameron Corner and at Tibooburra and the corner itself 3.5 billion flys and their families came out to greet us evertime we left the vehicle. Needless to say we hardly ever left the safety of the forby.

JD Life is to good to be dead.

When travelling to these areas, take fly nets for everyone and wear them. You may feel like a goose the first time you don, them but they really work. They go and hide when the sun goes down anyway.

Happy trails, Mike.

Oskar,

We went to the Simpson in October last year and went to central Australia and saw very few Flies, however some folks went 2weeks after us and apparantley had billions of them. You can be luck sometimees ;).

We did the SAimpson this time last year & didn't see 1.Regards Bob
27th June Gulf trip

Hi Oskar
I have crossed the Simpson twice both times mid July. 1st time the files were not too bad the second time they nearly took me away.

I always used to laugh at those people with those ridiculous nets on their heads, but having spent 6 days broken down in the Simpson I would have killed for one. We could not eat without getting files in our mouth, they flew into our eyes our drinks EVERTYTHING!. I wont even begin to talk about what happened at toilet time.

As for using a repelant, I started to think they were feeding on the stuff. We had rid and bushman.

My Advice, be prepared!

G

Oskar

Re flies & an expectation: Can you get some prediction of temps at the time of your visit? If you can, then you may be able to predict the fly burden.

You may have noticed that some were saying at very low overnight temps the flies did not appear until late morning?

This should not surprise, as the KEY is that to complete their life cycle, it must be 17 degrees. Otherwise they just wait in the soil as pupae until that event. So, cold weather = fewer flies.

They must also have a source of protein to feed & develop on. What could this be in the Simpson??????

Can I suggest that in/near Birdsville (or any other huam habitation) there is plenty of protein for them. Same goes for any pastoral country running livestock. Dung = food to a fly. Simpson desert = little protein source = fewer flies. Not no flies, just fewer!

Be a dork like the rest of us.......
Rick (S.A.) - ' It is better to travel hopefully than arrive'

I will expand on my last reply. None of the times I've been in the Simpson or birdsville, have I found it necessary to wear my net, however EVERY trip to the Cooper has required a net most days. We are normally in those areas in or about July. Hope this helps.

Happy (Flynet) trails, Mike.