Rising temperatures, humidity, and wet weather: The ‘perfect storm’ for Queensland’s fly infestation

It’s one of the biggest issues when it comes to an Aussie summer but this simple hack has solved the problem for some.

A Brisbane resident took to Reddit to ask if "this was a 'dead body near me' amount of flies" in their fly trap. Picture: Reddit/Odd-Organization8985.

The Australian humidity has brought another terror into our backyards amid the onslaught of hungry mosquitoes this summer.

Swarms of flies are wreaking havoc, and residents have had enough, resorting to DIY traps to get some peace of mind.

Wynnum local, Malika Young said a trusty fly trap from Bunnings would do the trick.

“If you are fed up with the flies get one of these double packs from Bunnings … doesn’t smell, is pet and people safe,” Ms Young said.

Another Brisbane resident shared their recipe for getting rid of flies. Picture: Jodie Marshall.

A Brisbane resident took to Reddit to ask if "this was a 'dead body near me' amount of flies" in their fly trap. Picture: Reddit/Odd-Organization8985.

Keith Kelly detailed his go-to process for eradicating flies at his house.

“All you need is a 1.25-litre bottle, one piece of garden hose, a teaspoon of vegemite dissolved in hot water in the 1.25-litre bottle, put outside,” Mr Kelly explained.

“In two to four days you will have a full bottle of flies.”

Jodie Marshall took to Facebook to reveal the secret to trapping flies is cutting a V-shaped hole into an empty milk bottle and pouring water, yeast and sugar into the bottom.

Queensland Museum entomologist and senior curator of insects Dr Chris Burwell said the outbreak of flies is a result of the summer heat and wet weather.

“(This year) is a bad one. It’s a combination of nice wet humid conditions and high temperatures,” Dr Burwell said.

“In previous years it’s been very wet. The last two or three years we’ve had lots of rain but we haven’t had really hot, humid, uncomfortable temperatures like this year.

“It’s just the perfect storm for flies to breed.”

A Wynnum local recommended the trusty fly trap from Bunnings for combating the swarms of flies. Picture: Malika Young.

Keith Kelly shared his secret to getting rid of flies at your weekend BBQ. Picture: Keith Kelly

Dr Burwell said suburban areas are an ideal environment for flies, particularly flesh flies and blowflies.

“They do very well in suburban areas because of the food supply that we give them so I mean they typically breed in dead flesh, so you know if you get roadkill on the side of the road, that’s what blowflies are cleaning up,” Dr Burwell explained.

“But if you’ve got meat scraps, and you’re putting them in the bin, they are attracted to the smell of that stuff … they lay their eggs on that and then hatch within a week because (flies have) a really fast life cycle.”

Dr Burwell suggested some simple changes to the household that help fight off the flies.

“Practice safe food hygiene, cover (and bag) your things … bag your food scraps and meat scraps, especially in plastic bags before you put them in your wheelie bin,” Dr Burwell said.

Originally published as Rising temperatures, humidity, and wet weather: The ‘perfect storm’ for Queensland’s fly infestation