Got a fly or mosquito problem? Call in the ‘A’ team

Although we’re best known for managing the safety of aircraft and birds, Avisure also manage other flying species which can cause health and safety concerns, both for aviation and the general public, flies and mosquitoes! Flies and mosquitoes can become overabundant, a nuisance to people, not to mention spreading diseases.

We all enjoy getting on planes and travelling to other locations; insects do as well. Insects such as mosquitoes and flies are a biosecurity risk as they can be transported to other states or countries, establishing and spreading disease.

Avisure has been monitoring first-point-of-entry sites (airports) in South Australia to identify (and treat) potential exotic high-risk mosquitoes that may arrive in aircrafts and/or on goods. [A first point of entry is an airport facility eligible under legislation to land international arrivals (goods and/or people)]. Two species: the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aeqgypti) and the tiger or forest mosquito (Aedes albopictus) are the largest concern for airports in Australia, as they carry and transmit diseases such as yellow, dengue and chikungunya fevers and Zika virus, and are likely to survive in Australian conditions.

Flies may like airports, but they enjoy landfills more. House flies, in particular, love landfills as they provide plenty of enticing smells, food, a warm habitat and a place for larvae to grow. Avisure is currently monitoring fly species at landfills to identify fly reduction strategies by decreasing attractants at landfills and nearby sites.

Did you know?

• There are over 30,000 species of flies in Australia, but only 6,400 have been identified and described.
• Mosquitoes and flies are part of the same family, called diptera.
• Mosquito and fly life cycles accelerate during warmer weather.
• House flies can’t chew, so they have to regurgitate saliva onto their food to help dissolve and eat it. Eww!
• Never eat something a housefly has landed on because their vomit and poop can spread bacteria and give you diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera.
• Mosquitoes can transmit malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Zika virus, yellow fever and Murray Valley encephalitis and many more.
• Flies can transmit eye infections (trachoma and conjunctivitis) and skin infections (yaws, mycoses and leprosy).
• More than 500 million mosquito-transmitted diseases are reported each year.