I work in an industry where the six-figure salary is a massive drawcard… but there’s a pesky problem nobody talks about

A fly-in fly-out worker has revealed how an often forgotten summertime nuisance can make work hell for Aussies in outback mines. 

Brea Polkinghorne warned flies flooded mine sites from spring through to autumn, and workers can’t escape them. 

She said it’s one of the reasons the mining industry is far from glamorous, despite the lucrative six-figure salaries. 

‘FIFO life is great, and what they don’t really tell you about is the f***ing flies,’ she told Yahoo.

‘These little buggers literally treat you like a buffet that they prepaid for. Smacking and dodging these motherf***ers is literally like a side job at this point. 

‘I swear to God, they’re like, literally laughing at you. They’re the real locals. They’re literally watching us idiots battle them day in and day out. 

‘But hey, that’s FIFO life, right? Good pay. Great views. More flies than you could ever f***ing wish for.’ 

FIFO workers shared nightmarish videos online of the swarms on their bodies and faces while at work. 

She said it’s one of the reasons the mining industry is far from glamorous, despite the lucrative six-figure salaries

Many miners have taken to social media to share the swarms of flies already making trouble before the start of summer

Some would find the insects completely off-putting.

But many deem the lucrative six-figure salaries sufficient compensation.

Jobs website Seek estimates the average mining salary to be between $120,000 and $140,000, depending on a miners’s role, location, employer and shift patterns. 

Fly populations explode with warm and wet conditions and the hot months usher in hoards of bush flies to rural and regional worksites across the nation.

The irritating insects thrive on the conditions and in fresh cow manure, where larvae mature.

Just two weeks ago in Sydney, a mild winter and warm, wet start to spring led to an uncharacteristically large number of flies hounding city-dwellers. 

Experts expect the increase to last until autumn or winter of 2025.

‘It’s been pretty bad for a few months and will likely continue until autumn or winter next year,’ Julian Bracewell from Pest2Kill told news.com.au.

‘You always see an increase in moths, butterflies, flies, and mosquitoes around springtime because it’s hot and humid, and it’s when plants and organic life flourish.’

But, he said, this year saw more pesky flies swarming the city than normal due to El Niño and rising temperatures.