Seasonal advice for growers
It’s vital to protect homesteads, vacant lots, rentals and storage sites. Here are steps growers can take to protect your property from fruit fly.
Harvest all host fruit
- Pick fruit on all trees and vines that are ornamental, domestic, legacy or used for windbreaks, shade or boundaries.
Collect all fallen fruit
- Fruit left on the ground encourages fruit fly. Collect small quantities, secure it in two plastic bags and place it in the red bin.
- For larger quantities or commercial orchards, mulch (shred) all fallen fruit then thinly spread it out to dry in the sun, or chemically treat the soil with Talstar (or similar).
Keep your property clean
- Remove any unwanted or unused fruit trees or vines, including those which are sick or damaged, poor yielding or the wrong varieties. Include those near pickers’ quarters, offices, sheds and other buildings.
- Remove all invasive pest plants that are fruit fly hosts such as prickly pear and olive.
- Regularly slash to keep grasses and weeds down, because fruit fly can live there.
- Encourage your neighbours to maintain good hygiene on their property as well.
Prune to protect
- Prune or hedge your orchards to avoid overcropping.
- Each year, prune all legacy fruit trees to a manageable height so that excess fruit is not left on branches out of reach.
Resources
- Citrus orchards - Protect your property from fruit fly ( )
- Nut orchards - Protect your property from fruit fly ( )
- Summer fruit - Protect your property from fruit fly ( )
- Vineyards - Protect your property from fruit fly ( )
Here to help
For support or to arrange collection of large volumes of fruit waste, please call the Industry Hotline.
Learn more about how to prevent fruit fly.