Bait now to control Medflies

DAFWA research officer Touhidur Rahman monitors Medfly numbers in fallen fruit.

The Department of Agriculture and Food WA is urging commercial fruit growers to bait for Mediterranean fruit flies to limit a population surge during the summer.

DAFWA is also extending the message to the community to ensure the flies are controlled in backyard trees.

DAFWA senior research officer Sonya Broughton said Mediterranean fruit flies had started to emerge this month, indicating a much higher population now than at the same time last year.

Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) is a serious horticultural pest which attacks a range of cultivated fruits and some fruiting vegetables in WA.

Dr Broughton said when deciduous stone fruit and some fruit trees were bare of leaves, the flies sheltered in citrus and other evergreen trees to await warmer weather.

"In order to lay her eggs after mating, if few hosts are available, the female Medfly will sting hard green fruit," she said.

"The first sign of damage is often larvae-infested or 'stung' fruit caused by the female laying eggs in the ripe or unripe fruit."

Dr Broughton advised growers to begin foliage baiting citrus and evergreens in orchards as soon as possible to help control the flies while numbers were low.

"Backyard lemon trees, loquats and early stone fruit should be included in the baiting program," she said.

Read the original here:
Bait now to control Medflies