A group of Canterbury scientists have found the region's insect population is booming - and many are benefiting from agriculture.
It turns out the heavy lifting normally associated with bees, is being shared about.
Most of us reach for a swat when we see flies, but maybe we shouldn't.
"There's certain flies that not only pollinate but they control pest species as well," project lead and pollination entomologist Brad Howlett told Newshub.
They like native plants, and they are crucial for farming - which is intensive in Canterbury, where just 0.5 percent of our native vegetation is left.
"If we establish native habitat on farms, we can bring in a lot more diversity than we ever thought," Howlett explained.
Plant and Food Research Ltd is conducting a study, observing how natives planted on farms can introduce other insects that can pollinate and eat pests - like aphids, at the same time.
They've counted seven times the number of insects that were recorded back in 2013.
Lots of New Zealand's crops rely on pollination, such as "kiwifruit, avocado, carrot and onion", he listed.
Farmers spend thousands of dollars each year for bees to do the job, but they only fly in good weather.
"So for climate change when we're getting all of this weather variability, we can get these other insects to do the job," Howlett added.
It's something retired arable farmer John Evans knows, as he's been growing natives for years.
"We had 70 hectares of wheat one year and we hadn't sprayed," he said.
He's now got five hectares of natives with roughly 12,000 plants.
"If we didn't have insects that were pollinating the plants then we wouldn't get any yield or we'd get substantially reduced yields," Howlett said. "We need the insects to take the pollen from a flower and deliver it to another flower."
"Nature has always got a way of controlling things," Evans added.
Which could reduce insecticide, and increase yield.
