A whole ‘system’ approach is required for fruit fly management. By this we mean:

• Protein bait sprays
• Monitoring
• Male annihilation
• Sanitation

The Manage Queensland Fruit fly brochure from Hort Innovation is a great resource that outlines three key steps:

A – Attract and kill with protein bait sprays

B – Reduce males with male annihilation technique (MAT)

C – Sanitation (and monitoring)

Other tools such as physical control, crop management, cover sprays, biological control, SIT and post harvest can also play a role – some in area wide approaches or at a government implementation level. Cover sprays are being phased out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protein bait sprays

• This is the essence of fruit fly management
• Adult flies emerge from the soil after pupation
• Females need to mate and feed on protein before they can lay eggs
• We have a 5-7 day window before they can damage fruit
• Protein can be acquired from fungi or bacteria – or from our applied bait sprays
• Differ from cover sprays
• ‘Spot’ treatment only
• Protein + toxicant in bait attracts and kills flies

Tips for Best Results:

• Start early, before fruit is susceptible
• Apply regularly
• Don’t miss a treatment
• Place on foliage or trunk
• Never on ground or grass
• Re-treat after rain
• Increase frequency during high risk periods
• Apply fresh
• Not all proteins are equal, look at:
  • protein content (%)
  • preservatives
• Use thickeners and consider:
  • resistance to weathering
  • hygroscopic – remains moist for longer
  • enhanced attractiveness
  • use when extra control is required

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monitoring

Trapping of fruit flies

• Male specific traps
• Indicator of population trends only
• Effective female trap still eludes us

Male fly traps

• Many available
• Male sex attractant + toxicant

Monitoring should also include:

• regular field assessment
• possibly twice weekly in critical periods

Look for:

• adult flies visible
• evidence of ‘stinging’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Male Annihilation Technique (MAT)

• Suppression of the male fly population
• An invaluable tool in an area wide management (AWM) program
• Incremental gains over time

Sanitation

• Remove any fallen fruit via:
  • Mulching
  • Black plastic bag
  • Deep burying
• Remove all fruit after harvest
• Late hanging fruit are high risk
• Issue of fallen fruit…
  • If stung review procedures
  • If not stung then little risk

Further information links

Australian Apple and Pear IPDM Fruit Fly Factsheet, including detailed information on bait spraying;

NSW DPI Queensland Fruit Fly Factsheet

Bugs for Bugs: https://bugsforbugs.com.au/