1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Already and this is the Daily Art, This is the 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: Daily oas. 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 2: Oh, now it makes sense. Good morning and welcome to 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 2: the Daily Ours. It's Monday, the twenty seventh of October. 5 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 2: I'm Emma Gillespie, I'm Lucy Tassel. 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: If you've noticed an increase in the number of flies 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: wherever you are in the country right now, No, it's 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: not just you. Summer is always a time of increased 9 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 1: fly numbers. But is there actually anything out of the 10 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 1: ordinary going on right now? We've got something a little 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: different to kick off your week, but stick with us. 12 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. I want to introduce you to a man named 13 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 2: doctor Brian Lessard, also known as Briy the Fly Guy, 14 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,639 Speaker 2: and he is on a mission to defend the tarnished 15 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: reputation of the humble fly. And in today's deep Dive, 16 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 2: he is going to explain why and when fly populations increase. 17 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 2: But more than that, he has spent his career learning 18 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 2: why these sometimes annoying critters are actually a lot more 19 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: important and useful than you might think. He is an 20 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 2: award winning entomologist, science communicator and children's author based in Canberra, 21 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 2: and he joins me now. Doctor Bryan bry the fly Guy, 22 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 2: Welcome to the pod. 23 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 3: Thanks for having me. I'm so keen to chat to you. 24 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 2: We have a lot of questions for you. We've crowdsourced 25 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 2: a few of them from the office, but I suppose 26 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 2: the biggest one to kick things off is all of 27 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 2: us have noticed more flies around lately the last few days, 28 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 2: especially not just us here in the Sydney office, but 29 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 2: we've heard reports from across New South Wales and Victoria. 30 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 2: Is it just us? Is something going on? 31 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 3: Nah, there's definitely more flies this time of year than 32 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 3: a few months ago in winter, so no one's going crazy. 33 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 3: And it's the perfect storm of hate and rain as well. 34 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 3: So when it rains, the water seeps into the ground 35 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 3: and it triggers the flies to hatch out of the 36 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 3: cocuon like pupil cases, and then they emerge into this 37 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 3: flurry of adults. And when it's warmer, they get way 38 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 3: more active too. So that's why it's pretty much school 39 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 3: is for flies now. The adults have one thing on 40 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 3: the mine and that's pretty much defined a date. Wow. 41 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 2: So does that mean if the rain triggers more eggs 42 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: to hatch, that the kind of I don't know if 43 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 2: this is the right term, but like the gestation period 44 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 2: for a flies is weather dependent rather than time dependent. 45 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely weather dependent. In winter, it gets really cold obviously, 46 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 3: and our flies can't cope with it. So it's kind 47 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 3: of sad because most of the adult flies actually die 48 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 3: off in winter, but they actually go into hibernation the 49 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 3: eggs and some of the cocoon like pupil cases and 50 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 3: they wait for it to warm up in springtime and 51 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 3: that's right now, and then they kind of reliant on 52 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 3: that rain to kind of soften the soil so they 53 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 3: can emerge and crawl out and then swarm to their 54 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 3: nearest flower and have a drinking nectar and yeah, pretty 55 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 3: much live the best life. Wow. 56 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 2: I don't think many people realize that they come from 57 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 2: out of the ground. 58 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, So flies generally lay their eggs in the soil, 59 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 3: particularly blowflies, So everyone knows if they've gone for a 60 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 3: hike and they've seen a dead kangaroo, that there's a 61 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 3: lot of larvae or maggots crawling around in there. So 62 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 3: after they have their little festy feast, they crawl off 63 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 3: into the soil and pupate, kind of like when a 64 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 3: caterpillar goes into a cocoon. 65 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 2: I'm sure a lot of listens are hearing the words 66 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 2: blowfly and feeling a little uncomfortable. They don't get the 67 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 2: best rap. But you have made this your career being 68 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: an expert on all things flies and insects. So can 69 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 2: you tell us why they are necessary for the ecosystem? 70 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 2: What's the actual role they play. 71 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 3: I used to hate flies like everyone until I started 72 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 3: studying them, and particularly blowfly. So I learned that blowflies 73 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 3: could help solve crime, and that sparks my interest. And 74 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 3: that's because yeah, yeah, so if you ever watch bones 75 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 3: or CSI, you always have that forensic entomologist specialists. So 76 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 3: if someone dies, the blowflies can lay their eggs on 77 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 3: that corpse within minutes of that person passing away, so 78 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 3: you can use the size of the maggot as the 79 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 3: indication of its age to help identify when that crime occurred. 80 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 3: And I thought that was pretty amazing. And then I 81 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 3: started studying flies and thought they were pretty awesome. 82 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 2: Wow, that is intense. What is the reason that flies 83 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 2: are attracted to decay in that way? 84 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's not all flies that are attracted to smelly, 85 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 3: gross stuff, mostly the blowflies because they've exploited this grossed 86 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 3: habitat where no other insects want to live, those rotting corpses, 87 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 3: and so what the female does is lay her eggs 88 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 3: in them, and then the larvae eat that rotten meat. 89 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 3: And what they're actually doing is they're recycling that nutrients 90 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 3: and turning into compost so other fungi and plants can 91 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 3: use those nutrients. Otherwise they'd be lost and we'd be 92 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 3: waist deep in waste without flies. Wow. 93 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 2: So it sounds a little bit grim at the surface, 94 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 2: but there's actually a much bigger kind of recycling purpose 95 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:27,720 Speaker 2: to this. 96 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 3: Definitely, And if you enjoy chowing down on your smashed 97 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 3: avo very smoothies and mango for brunch, you definitely want 98 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 3: to appreciate the blowflies as well. Why because blowflies are 99 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 3: actually really important pollinators and they have a sweet tooth 100 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 3: like us, so they drink the sugary nectar from flowers 101 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 3: and help cross pollinate that. So there's farmers in Australia 102 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 3: that are actually encouraging the native blowflies into the orchards 103 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 3: to help pollinate our mangoes, avocados, berries, the hops that 104 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 3: we used to brew beer with, and also the grapes 105 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 3: that we use to make wine. And did you know 106 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 3: without flies, there'd been no chocolate. That's because the most 107 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 3: important pollinator of the cacao plant that we make chocolate 108 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,720 Speaker 3: from is a teeny tiny fly about the size of 109 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 3: a pin head, and it's the only fly small enough 110 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 3: to crawl through its flowers and pollinate it. So if 111 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 3: we didn't have this fly and flies in general, we'd 112 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 3: be living in the chocolates, which would be pretty evil. 113 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 2: Wow, well, we must do everything we can to save 114 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 2: the flies. 115 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 3: Hey, I can get behind that. 116 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 2: Why are flies so much more prevalent in the more 117 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 2: regional remote parts of the country. You know, you drive 118 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 2: out of the cities in the summer and it seems 119 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 2: like they are ten times worse. 120 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 3: The reason why we might notice more flies when we're 121 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 3: out in remote Australias because there's not a lot of 122 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 3: water sources in some areas, so they're actually coming to 123 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 3: us for a drink, particularly the pesky bushfly. If you've 124 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 3: ever gone for a hike or walked outside and the 125 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 3: bushflies are coming at your eyes, ears, and nose, they 126 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 3: definitely have a reason to do that, and it's because 127 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 3: you're a walking sports drink. 128 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 2: Essentially, wow, because I was going to actually ask you, 129 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 2: and I wonder if this all ties in. Can you 130 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 2: explain sometimes why it feels like a fly is locked 131 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 2: in on a particular person and follows them around. You know, 132 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: you just see that sometimes even in the office here, 133 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 2: it can happen and it's like, oh my god, am 134 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 2: I stinky? 135 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 3: You're not stinky? If it is a bushfly, they're quite 136 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 3: thirsty creatures, so they're actually looking for a drink, so 137 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 3: that's why they always come and try and drink the 138 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 3: tears from our eyes, the mucus from our nose, and 139 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 3: even our saliva because our bodily fluids are actually high 140 00:07:54,600 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 3: in protein, electrolytes and moisture too, so we're walking strinks 141 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 3: to them, so that's why they're annoying us. Mosquitoes, on 142 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 3: the other hand, and some blood feeding flies like horseflies 143 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 3: or march flieres, can actually smell us, so they're locked 144 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 3: into the co two the carbon dioxide that we're breathing out, 145 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 3: so they can actually pick up that scent and they 146 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 3: can also see our body temperature to as a target. 147 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 3: So with horseflies in particular, it's only the females that 148 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 3: buit it because she needs the protein in our blood 149 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 3: to ripen our eggs, and without it she couldn't have 150 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 3: fertile young. 151 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with more of today's deep dive 152 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:36,839 Speaker 1: right after this. 153 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 2: Are the most common flies that we're kind of seeing 154 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 2: at the moment. Are they horseflies or bushflies or something else? 155 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 3: Well, that's the thing. Ossies think that there's only two 156 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 3: or three species of flies in Australia, like the ones 157 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,959 Speaker 3: that pretty much annoy us, like the bushflies and blowflies, 158 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 3: But there's actually thirty thousand species of flies just living 159 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 3: in Australia and they do all sorts of things. One 160 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 3: of my favorite flies is called a beefly, and it 161 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 3: looks like a bee. That's why it's called a beefly 162 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 3: because it pollinates flowers. But I think they should be 163 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 3: called twerking flies because the females will actually land on 164 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:21,559 Speaker 3: sand and twerk in the ground, and she'll coat her 165 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 3: eggs in sand, and then she flies around and launches 166 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 3: them in spider burrows and then those eggs hatch into hungry, 167 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 3: hungry larvae that eat spiders. So beeflies actually helping to 168 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,079 Speaker 3: keep our spider population down. 169 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 2: Wow, Okay, well I'll try to remember that next time 170 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 2: I think bad thoughts about flies. Why do we think 171 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 2: that flies are dirty? I guess there's this image that 172 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 2: we all probably have of, you know, the roadkill with 173 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 2: the flies around it, or the kind of CSI more 174 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 2: gory detail. There, Are they dirty? Should we be worried 175 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 2: if they land on us? 176 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 3: The majority of flies are not dirty. It's just a 177 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 3: misconception that keeps perpetuating through pop culture and also my 178 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 3: arch nemesis louis the fly. Most flies will never come 179 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 3: anywhere near us. Of course, there are the flies that 180 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 3: can transmit some diseases, so there is a worry that 181 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 3: if a blowfly lands on your sausage sandwich, its legs 182 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 3: might be dirty because it was hanging out at a 183 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 3: rotting kangaroo, so there could potentially be a transfer of 184 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 3: those bacteria. So always cover your food. But the majority 185 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:40,199 Speaker 3: of flies leave us alone, essentially, and particularly maggots. Maggots 186 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 3: get a really bad reputation, where maggot spit is actually 187 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:48,079 Speaker 3: cleaner than human spit pretty much. Researchers have found that 188 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 3: black solder fly larvae you might have seen them churning 189 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 3: through your compost in the backyard. The spit actually has 190 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 3: anti microbial properties to reduce the coli in our compost too. 191 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 3: And then one of my favorite professions is called a 192 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 3: maggot nurse, And there are nurses at Westmead Hospital that 193 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 3: actually use sterile blowfly larvae to treat diabetic ulcers and 194 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 3: necrotic tissue because those larvae are clean and the spit 195 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 3: helps ward off secondary infections. And this might sound nasty, 196 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 3: but it's actually quite useful. The wriggling around of the 197 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 3: larvae in the flesh actually helps stimulate circulation and promote 198 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 3: wound healing, which is pretty incredible. 199 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 2: Wow, I'm learning so much from you. This is fascinating stuff. 200 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 2: I guess with this bad pr that we've seen over 201 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 2: generations against flies and knowing all these incredible things that 202 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 2: they can do. When people see a fly infestation or 203 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 2: you know, maybe there's a bunch of buzzing around the house, 204 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:57,439 Speaker 2: they immediately grab the spray. Can what are we getting wrong? 205 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,559 Speaker 2: And when should we actually be concerned about the number 206 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 2: of flies? 207 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 3: So spraying flies with chemicals is such a bad idea, 208 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 3: not only just to the fly but also human health. 209 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 3: We don't want these chemicals in our house. The problem 210 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 3: with these chemicals. They're so high in pesticides that when 211 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 3: it rains, they actually flush down our gutters and end 212 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 3: up in our waterways and has a knock on effect 213 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 3: to other insects and fish as well. So preferably put 214 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 3: down the spray. Some tips that I would recommend to 215 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 3: get rid of flies is obviously have fly screens in 216 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 3: your house, remove your bins, your kitchen waist bin quite regularly, 217 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 3: because as soon as that becomes smelly, blowflies want to 218 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 3: get in. And just shoe flies away and let them 219 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 3: pollinate another day. Such good advice. 220 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,719 Speaker 2: Right when we're looking forward to the summer ahead, are 221 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 2: we anticipating that it's going to be a particularly popular 222 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 2: summer for flies. After a rainy period across parts of the. 223 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 3: It's probably going to be a bumper season for flies 224 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 3: because when the temperatures get warmer, which is predicted for 225 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 3: this summer, we'll probably see a lot more insect activity, 226 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 3: particularly flies. If you're less inclined to my fly friends 227 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 3: this summer, you can definitely do a few things to 228 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 3: let them be less annoying. So you can wear long 229 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 3: sleeve and long pants that'll keep biting flies like horseflies 230 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 3: and mosquitoes off of your body so they can't actually 231 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 3: bite you. You can wear topical insect repellents to get 232 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 3: rid of them, and also just avoid dusk and dawn 233 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 3: too if you don't want to be bit my mosquitoes. 234 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 3: A lot of people don't realize that mosquitoes are actually flies. 235 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 3: So mosquitoes have two wings. Yeah, yeah, So mosquitoes have 236 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 3: two wings, and that's what defines a fly. And the 237 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 3: word mosquito is actually Spanish for little fly, which is 238 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 3: kind of cute. 239 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 2: That is kind of cute. You're doing very very good 240 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 2: reputation rehab for the higher fly slash mosquito world. Here, 241 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 2: I just have one last question for you, and that's 242 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 2: what is the one thing you wish people knew about 243 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:12,959 Speaker 2: flies or that you want them to take away from 244 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 2: this conversation, you know, the next time they swat one away. 245 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 3: Oh, flies are the ultimate underdogs and they're actually trying 246 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 3: to help us have a better life, and we just 247 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 3: take them for granted. So the essential workers of our ecosystem, 248 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 3: pollinating our native flowers, help churning through our composts to 249 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 3: make it better. And they're actually really beautiful. When you 250 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 3: put them under the microscope, you can appreciate the hidden beauty. 251 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 3: Some of them look like little opals. Some of them 252 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 3: are so pretty that I named them after Beyonce and 253 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 3: new species after RuPaul as well, because they're quite fierce 254 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 3: and stunning creatures. So I just encourage everyone to challenge 255 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 3: your expectations with flies. 256 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 2: Doctor Brian bry the Fly Guy, It's been absolutely fascinating 257 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 2: to learn so much from you. Thank you for joining 258 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 2: us on the Daily Oas. 259 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 3: Thanks so much for having me time definitely flies, Thank. 260 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: You so much for listening to today's episode, and a 261 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: huge thanks to doctor Brian Lessard for speaking with us. 262 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: If you want to learn more about flies and everything 263 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: he's doing, you can look him up on Instagram at 264 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: Bria the Fly Guy, and we will pop that handle 265 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: in the show notes. We'll be back with the headlines 266 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: later on this afternoon. Until then, have a great start 267 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: to your week. My name is Lily Maddon and I'm 268 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 1: a proud Adunda Bungelung Kalkotin woman from Gadigol Country. The 269 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 1: Daily oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on the 270 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to all 271 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: Aboriginal and Torres Strait island and nations. We pay our 272 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: respects to the first peoples of these countries, both past 273 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: and present.