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The high rainfall in Gauteng, for example, combined with extreme heat, led to a surge in the fly population.
Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Verdoorn said the outbreaks were a result of the “severely unhygienic conditions in the country”.
This was caused by a myriad of factors, such as local authorities’ failure to remove household waste, especially in informal settlements, pet owners failing to clean up after their animals, and a general lack of respect for the environment, he said.
“The two main fly species we have to contend with is the common housefly (Musca domestica), and the blowfly (Chrysomyia marginalis), commonly known as the bluebottle. Both species occur in urban and rural habitats,” he explained.
“The common housefly has a rapid reproduction cycle, in which female flies deposit hundreds of eggs in decomposing organic waste. Both species spread bacterial infections such as salmonella and E.coli.”
According to Verdoorn, it was crucial for homeowners to keep their properties clean from waste in order to prevent fly outbreaks. He advised farmers, especially pork and chicken producers and feedlotters, to make use of the CropLife South Africa integrated fly management programme in order to manage and prevent outbreaks.
“For households, I recommend the use of automatic insecticide dispensers that are widely available in retail shops,” he said.
“However, keeping yards and homesteads meticulously clean [is essential for control]. I also advise property owners to treat window and door frames with an insecticide containing alpha-cypermethrin as an active ingredient.”
