Why Sydney is now in the grip of a monster fly plague

Noticed a lot of flies in Sydney recently? Blame the weather. Read how to get rid of the buzzy little pests naturally here.

A blowfly in a garden. Photo: Bryan Lessard

It turns out we have another thing to blame the rain for.

After wreaking havoc with children’s sport, spawning mould on everything from walls to clothes, and drowning backyard barbies, it has now given us a plague of flies.

The combination of a prolonged wet period, a mild winter and now a spike in temperature has seen swarms of the pest descend not just on the city but all the way up to the Hunter.

And it has people flapping their hands like they are ­attempting to fly themselves.
Social media has been swirling with posts from people battling the annoying insects, with one user saying it’s a “massive problem” and calling to “exterminate the flies in Sydney”.

TikTokker Fana is calling for the extermination of flies in Sydney. Picture: TikTok

Social media is full of complaints about the little buzzers. Picture: TikTok/amy.in.aus

TikTokker Fana, who has some 162,000 followers, told The Saturday Telegraph he couldn’t escape the flies while trying to walk to the station.

“I’m swatting the air like I’m crazy,” he said. “Everyone is probably thinking what is this guy doing … they really need to do something to control the population.”

Entomologist Dr Bryan Lessard, aka Bry the Fly Guy.

Other videos featured on the app showed swarms of flies resting on people’s backs as they walked.

One was from the esplanade at Cronulla, while others featured hundreds of black dots circling in the air at Circular Quay right near the Sydney Opera House.

Sydney entomologist Dr Bryan Lessard, known as Bry The Fly Guy, said the “surge” was particularly evident this time of the year.

“There’s a lot of rain and that soaks into the ground and that triggers the flies to hatch out of the cocoon,” he said.

“The adults crawl out of the grounds and they have one thing on their mind … (to) find a mate.”

Swarm of flies on the back of a man walking in Cronulla. Picture: TikTok

Dr Lessard warned that climate change was likely behind the “boom” and would result in more insects in the spring and summer months.

“It’s going to get hotter, it’s going to get wetter,” he said.

“Climate change affects every species within our ecosystems, and insects are definitely going to be affected … and we’re going to have to learn to love them.”

Dr Lessard said indications have shown an “emergence of the common bush fly” which his own research revealing their importance in pollinating native plants.

It’s also good for the local birds, lizards and spiders, who are currently feasting on the little pests.

You don’t have to rush out and buy fly spray.

There are plenty of natural remedies that are supposed to work well and also smell much better than chemical sprays.

No one is safe. Picture: tiktok.com/@envirosafe

There are natural methods for dealing with flies.

Apparently flies hate the smell of lemon and cloves, so place cloves in lemon halves around the house to keep them away.

Basil is another plant they dislike, while a jar of apple cider vinegar is apparently a perfect trap for them.

If all else fails, maybe bring back the cork-tipped hats.

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