bill

The white discs are great (Ant-Rid is the brand I use), easier and less messy than granules or liquids. It takes a few days for the nest to die, but it always seems to work. I try to be proactive and get the damn ants before they reach the house, i.e put the discs in any ant trails outside. Haven't had any in the house for years. Strangely, this year, something has been stealing the baits overnight this summer. Then a few weeks ago, I saw a rat running along a fence outside. I wonder if he/she is the culprit and has an upset stomach!

Well that puts it totally into perspective. I spent last summer in the UK, and one of the most noticeable things for me was just how FEW flies there were compared to Adelaide - though due to lack of fly screens in the UK, nearly all the ones you do see end up inside the house!

Hmm, that's amazing. It might be worth looking at what you are getting for your money. When I bought (admittedly 10 years ago), a major difference between competing heaters was whether they were convecting or conducting (I think!). One of these determines whether you need the heater to heat just the surrounding area, or the whole house. I seem to recall that you said your heater is not your major source of heating, so maybe you don't need to buy one that will heat the whole house, and maybe that can save you money. I remember heading into the Gas Showroom in the city and discussing this with an expert. They weren't retailers, so the advice was impartial.

Thanks for the explanation. Yes, different climate zones have their own issues. The other main 'bug'bear for me is mosquitoes, but at least the insect repellants work (I use 'Off', which works perfectly). I saw quite a lot of Cockroaches while walking the streets at night in the Gold Coast - ugh, suddenly flies don't seem so awful!

I don't mean around the house at all. If any fly at all gets in my house, its life span is about 2 minutes. Just walking in the street, at the beach, sitting at the beach, anywhere outdoors really! None in the Gold Coast, loads in Adelaide. Why the huge difference?

Cazzie and I have just returned to Adelaide from a week at the Gold Coast, catching up with my son in Brisbane. We have been delighted by the lack of flies. It's such a joy to be out and about without all the arm-waving and buzzing around the face that are a feature of life in Adelaide. Just need my daughter and granddaughter to move up there and we would be very tempted! Does anybody know why the Gold Coast should be so free of the wretched things, and Adelaide (and other cities) so affected? We even went inland to the green and pleasant hinterland for a day, and again, no flies. Ditto in the Brisbane suburbs. This was my 5th visit in 13 years, though only my 2nd outside of winter, and it has always been so. Any explanations? Also, does anybody think that this is a very bad spring for the number of flies? After 24 years in Adelaide, you'd think I would get used to it, but I'll always be a whinging pom in that respect!

That sounds like such a lot of money. Based on what I paid around 10 years ago, I would have expected your price to be no more than around $3000. As yours is a new build, I'm wondering whether it includes one-off things like the piping, vents etc, which you would still have to pay for anyway, irrespective of where you get the heater from. Just a thought.