Strategies for Gardeners
Choosing the right control strategy
Fruit fly area wide management needs to be carried out by the whole community to be effective. Home gardeners with a fruit tree or vegetable patch have a key role in protecting the region against Queensland fruit fly. No one action will effectively eliminate fruit fly. A combination of management activities is required to protect home produce and commercial growers against the pest.
The effective management of Queensland fruit fly relies on a high level of both awareness and participation from home gardeners. Early detection allows for the activisation of necessary control strategies and is essential in limiting population explosions. Fruit fly activity generally increases in spring as the weather gets warmer, however is not restricted to a particular season. Vigilance from home gardeners and the broader community is required all year round.
Fruit flies can easily move between crops and from one location to another, so a fruit fly problem in your backyard can quickly spread to nearby properties and orchards. If fruit fly is a problem in your home garden or backyard, let your neighbours know, so they too can be on the look out and take action.
A wide range of products to control flies and protect fruit from damage are available from nurseries, chemical resellers and hardware stores.
Recommended strategies
Management practises recommended for home gardens include:
- Trapping and monitoring
- Bait spray – to attract and kill fruit flies
- Prune fruit trees to a manageable height
- Pick ripened fruit
- Net fruit trees and vegetables
- Pick up fallen fruit and dispose of correctly
- Check ripening fruit and vegetables skin for sting marks
- Removal of unwanted host plants and trees
Action against fruit fly in home gardens and backyards will help protect our region and commercial growers from outbreaks.
See the other pages within the ‘Control’ section for more information on strategies to help stop the spread of Queensland fruit fly.
Managing Queensland fruit fly in your garden
Queensland fruit fly is found in Victoria and attacks many fruits and vegetables. This fact sheet will help you to look for Queensland fruit fly in your garden and protect the fruit and vegetables you grow from damage.