As any experienced gardener will know, there aren’t many disappointments worse than seeing a promising fruit or vegetable crop go to waste because of a pest invasion.
Fruit flies in particular can be a nightmare, and it’s difficult once they’ve settled in to break the cycle.
Drawn to ripe and rotting fruits and vegetables, the flies lay their eggs just beneath the fruit’s surface, leaving a bruised-looking patch behind.
When the larvae (maggots) hatch, they burrow into the fruit, causing it to rot and hollow out.
The likelihood of a fruit fly infestation increases in the warmer months, when their breeding is at its peak.
However, year-round vigilance is necessary to combat this agricultural menace.
Because fruit fly can spread so rapidly, it’s everyone’s responsibility to help in the control of this pest.
One of the most important practices in preventing and controlling the spread of fruit fly is what the agriculture department calls ‘sanitation’.
This involves removing any fallen or rotting fruit, year-round, including any damaged fruits you might spot still on the tree.
If possible, fruits should be collected daily and sealed tightly inside a plastic bag (double-wrap if you have to).
Then you must either place the bag in the sun for 3-7 days, or in the freezer for two days, which will kill any eggs, larvae or fruit flies sealed inside.
Place the bag in the rubbish bin (not the recycling or the compost) to ensure the eggs, larvae and fruit flies are effectively removed from the garden.
On top of sanitation, the impact of fruit flies can be reduced by trapping as well as the use of either nets and bags to exclude the insects from accessing fruit.
There are a variety of traps on the market, usually either pheromone- or protein-based.
The protein-based traps target both sexes, however they require regular changing and you will need one trap per two meters of tree.
Pheromone-based traps have a much wider reach, so you’ll only need one in the garden, but they can be more expensive and attract only male fruit flies.
Fruit fly isn’t just a problem for home gardeners, it poses a big risk to farmers, and so by managing them effectively in the home, you can help prevent the damage done to agricultural crops too.
Do you have a gardening question for Jess? Send your queries to jess.cockerill@fairfaxmedia.com.au
