When James Wheildon set out to solve a problem on his farm, he had no idea it would end with him being known as the 'fly guy,' or that his solution would become a potential back-up to bees under pressure.
But as the honey bee industry grapples with the challenge of invasive pests such as varroa mite, brutal weather conditions, bushfires and floods, alternatives such as flies could become a bigger part of the pollination picture.
Bee experts have called on the community to help count thousands of species of flies, butterflies, moths, wasps, beetles and other insects during Australian Pollinator Week to establish the health of the population.
And with 60 years of research and development now digitised and free to download, scientists said there was still a lot to learn about the insects responsible for the success of a large percentage of Australia's food crops.
Becoming the fly guy
Mr Wheildon said he first began to explore the role of flies to boost pollination on the avocado and lychee farm he was managing in Mareeba in far north Queensland.
"I never set out to be the fly guy. It was just a nickname they gave to me up north," he said.
"A few of the old locals there were throwing dead animals around to breed up flies for pollination.
"I'd started the same process and thought they don't last long enough, and you can't have hundreds of dead animals in your field.
"So I developed a product that would produce and attract flies."
His experiments led to a formula that when water was added and left to ferment, it emitted a gas that attracted local flies and encouraged breeding, dramatically boosting numbers and pollination.
"I've learned more about flies than I ever wanted to know and all the different varieties, it is very fascinating," he said.
"Flies are pollinators, they're not just an annoying little pest and there's hundreds of flies already in your field. It's just a matter of boosting those numbers."
Celebrating 60 years of bee research
Research and development corporation Agrifutures Australia estimated 65 per cent of horticultural crops across the nation were dependent on honey bees for pollination.
Honey bee and pollination program manager Annelies McGaw said that figure was put into sharp focus by escalating pressure on the insects.
"From the drought in 2015, through to the bushfires in 2019–20, through to the floods that we're having now, and then the varroa [mite incursion], it has really shifted our perspective on how we look after bees," she said.
"What are the other opportunities? The importance of other pollinators and native pollinators is really coming to the fore."
She said over the past six decades, 280 industry-funded projects had explored everything from pests and diseases to nutrition, genetics and extension, but that information had not always been accessible.
"Apiarists have been paying a research and development levy since 1962, which is one of the oldest levies that there is," Ms McGaw said.
"Some of the data is not always published in journals. It was just getting lost."
Now collated into a single document, Bee Informed, Ms McGaw said it would inform new research programs focused on securing health of the pollinator population.
Time to make pollinators count
During Australian Pollinator Week (November 12–20) citizen scientists are being urged to take part in the first national pollinator count, by observing and counting the insects visiting a flower or bush, then sharing the results online.
Established by not-for-profit charity the Wheen Bee Foundation, its chief executive Fiona Chambers said it was important to get an accurate picture of the health of the population to help direct investment in research and conservation programs.
"There is no definitive data in Australia that's tracking the number, the abundance and diversity of our pollinators," she said.
"Pollinators come in all shapes and sizes and they're so important not just for our food crops, but for my garden plants and our forests as well."
Participants can submit their findings online at www.australianpollinatorweek.org.au.
