flies
Submitted: Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 at 17:39
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Member - Oskar
Are the flies as bad in the Simpson in the winter as they are in summer?
Reply By: Darian - Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 at 18:28
Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 at 18:28
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.
AnswerID:
23215
Reply By: Treading Lightly - Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 at 18:57
Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 at 18:57
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.
AnswerID:
23223
Follow Up By: Member - Cocka - Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 at 20:54
Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 at 20:54
We know that the Big Creator up in the sky made flies for a special purpose and that is to help the recycling processes, but why did He have to make so many, couldn't He have just made one big one ??Carpe Diem
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Mike - Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 13:50
Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 13:50
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.
AnswerID:
23276
Follow Up By: Ruth - Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 21:04
Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 21:04
Hello Happy Trails (and thank you). Flies arrived in
Birdsville in March immediately the green pick came up after the rain. We have been living in hope that the colder weather would buzz them off -
well, it nearly has. 2 degrees this a.m. and the flies didn't appear until 10:45 a.m. and not very many. Yes, they are in the Simpson - they went there after they left here. Maybe when it gets to zero they will go. We normally don't have a fly problem out here, no really we don't. Bring fly veils anyway - they just live in the pockets of our passenger doors. it means the difference between having kids who won't get out of the a/c car and see something of our great Desert and families who enjoy. Everyone feels like a dork at first but life is too sweet to worry about things like that. Enjoy.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Kevin - Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 15:01
Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 15:01
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 ;).
AnswerID:
23284
Reply By: Member -BJ (Sydney) - Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 15:55
Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 15:55
We did the SAimpson this time last year & didn't see 1.Regards Bob
27th June Gulf trip
AnswerID:
23293
Reply By: Groove - Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 17:45
Monday, Jun 23, 2003 at 17:45
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
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Oskar - Tuesday, Jun 24, 2003 at 07:15
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2003 at 07:15
Thanks for the info. We will go prepared!!!!!!!!!
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Reply By: Member - Rick - Tuesday, Jun 24, 2003 at 09:07
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2003 at 09:07
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'
AnswerID:
23344
Follow Up By: Groove - Wednesday, Jun 25, 2003 at 10:27
Wednesday, Jun 25, 2003 at 10:27
mmmm, must say this wasnt my experience, middle of the Simpson lots of files, near Birdville lots of flies, near Dalhousie Spring lots of flies.
Temperature may be a factor but proximity to human habitiation not so. In any case there are lots of camels in the Simpson, plenty of birds a few marsupials and various of reptiles.
Its quite alive for a desert.
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Follow Up By: Groove - Wednesday, Jun 25, 2003 at 10:27
Wednesday, Jun 25, 2003 at 10:27
mmmm, must say this wasnt my experience, middle of the Simpson lots of files, near Birdville lots of flies, near Dalhousie Spring lots of flies.
Temperature may be a factor but proximity to human habitiation not so. In any case there are lots of camels in the Simpson, plenty of birds a few marsupials and various of reptiles.
Its quite alive for a desert.
FollowupID:
15633
Follow Up By: Groove - Wednesday, Jun 25, 2003 at 10:28
Wednesday, Jun 25, 2003 at 10:28
mmmm, must say this wasnt my experience, middle of the Simpson lots of files, near Birdville lots of flies, near Dalhousie Spring lots of flies.
Temperature may be a factor but proximity to human habitiation not so. In any case there are lots of camels in the Simpson, plenty of birds a few marsupials and various of reptiles.
Its quite alive for a desert.
FollowupID:
15634
Reply By: Mike - Tuesday, Jun 24, 2003 at 10:47
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2003 at 10:47
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.
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