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Hands off ministers' flies, says bug man


And they will not be returning until next week.

Blair Cunningham
Fri, 19 Oct 2012

Bug man Ruud Kleinpaste says a ministerial infestation of vinegar flies should be left alone.

Fumigators have been called into parliament’s Bowen House to douse the 19th floor offices of Attorney-General Chris Finlayson and Revenue minister Peter Dunne, after tiny vinegar, or fruit, flies moved in.

Both ministers were said to be working from home today

Mr Finlayson’s press secretary Ben Thomas is left the building but told NBR ONLINE he noticed a few flies around the office last week.

But Newstalk ZB's bug man Mr Kleinpaste wonders why anyone would want to get rid of them – the little flies, that is.

"They're fabulous recyclers ... that's what they were born to do," he told NBR ONLINE.

Mr Kleinpaste says an infestation of vinegar flies is created by rotting fruit.

"Why fumigate? Just get rid of the source of the problem and they should go away." 

Mr Thomas says he does not know how the flies got into the ministerial offices or whether they had been there long.

He says the infestation does not appear to have affected any other ministers’ offices.

The fumigation is expected to last all day and the ministers will be allowed back in their offices next week.

Blair Cunningham
Fri, 19 Oct 2012
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Hands off ministers' flies, says bug man
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