I spent a couple of weeks in Aus years ago and was almost eaten alive . ...They're the most agressive mozzies that I've ever known.

Yes. I stepped outside one night last summer for less than twenty seconds to look at the moon and returned with five ankle bites.

I understand it improves with time - once your blood takes on a "more local" flavour

Fingers crossed!

We live in Perth, and as I wrote above, we have hardly any flies or mozzies. Perth covers a very large area. Whether you get flies and/or mozzies depends very much on where you live.

I have not noticed a major fly problem this summer to be honest. We don't have many mosquitoes where I live, so no worries there. We had major issues with march flies last summer due to the late wet/cool nature of the weather but have had hardly any this year.

Glad you're not all suffering from bad fly problem in Perth. Maybe you should publish your area so new immigrants know where in Perth to move to

The flies were relatively large in number and persistant in Adelaide (just inland on the Southern Coast) Here on the Gold Coast they don't appear to be as many or as annoying. Lots of mossies and midges though...tropical strength aerogard seems to stop them.

The large biting flies are horse flies.

Jan

Also known as March Flies - horrible little buggers!

Plenty of the little sods where I am, 100k South of Sydney. They are just reaching the point of the year where they become a real pain. Walking the dog consists of holding the lead in one hand and pretending to be a Whirling Dervish with the other hand. Hugely persistent and attracted to your eyes, nose and ears, they really are one of the major downsides of Oz.

Mozzie bites still itch, but nothing like they did when we first arrived. There really does seem to be something in the tale of building up a bit of immunity to them over time. Taking something like Zyrtec asap after being bitten seems to help as well.

What are the tiny ones that seem to waft about on the breeze straight into my eyes, nose, mouth etc. My Mum used to call them No-See-Ums cos they are so small........they are annoying today.

Been here almost 7 years and the buggers still make a bee line for me......... as for the flies, they aren't up to full strength yet........... dreading the day when going out for a walk can end up with my back looking like a fly blanket

True - we live semi rural and I just had a walk to our local post office. I did spray before but they still attacked me - in my eyes, nose, mouth and ears.....I was walking there and back and doing the 'ozzie wave' the whole time!

My Greenwich Headwear hat has a fly net sewn into a storage compartment in the crown and is convertable from a bucket hat to one resembling this (the net unfolds over the hat brim to keep it off the face and ears):



The ladies have been well catered for for centuries:

Nice

I have seen people walking about in beekeepers headgear in the past.