Author Archives: Dr Cathy Smallridge

When you see a house fly walking around on your kitchen window, do you ever wonder where it came from or where it has been?  You might just whip out the fly swat and be done with it because everyone knows that you don’t want flies in the house.  But are they just a nuisance,…

As summer approaches, mosquitoes become more of a problem in many parts of Australia.  From nuisance biting, to the risk of contracting a serious viral disease, mosquitoes are very unwelcome visitors around the home.  We asked scientist Associate Professor Cameron Webb to tell us a bit about mosquitoes and how we can best manage them….

What are filth flies?  These are the species, such as house flies, blowflies or bushflies, that use manure, carcasses or rotting organic material for food.  By moving between manure and the horse (feeding from eyes or scratches or wounds) they can easily spread disease, as well as causing the horse stress and discomfort from constantly…

The bushfly, Musca vetustissima, is an Australian icon.  You know the one.  It’s that little fly that sticks to you en masse – they make you choke when you breathe them in and they get in your eyes, ears and nose!  The famous “Aussie Salute” is a sure sign they might be around. Photo credit:…

Flies and public health – A brief review By Dr Cathy Smallridge It has long been known that flies are insects of public health importance [1]. It is estimated that flies may be responsible for transmitting up to 65 different disease organisms [2].  Some fly species also lay eggs on live animals and humans, and…