Fight the Fruit Fly Association of AlburyWodonga Inc.

1
Fight the Fruit Fly Association ofAlbury-Wodonga
Inc.
Fighting Queensland Fruit Fly inAlbury-Wodonga
2
What does a QFF look like?
Female
Male
Note Ovipositor

• 8mm long, NOT EASILY SEEN
• Reddish brown with yellow markings
• Wings held slightly away from body
• Moves quickly readily takes flight when
  disturbed
• Most often seen walking on underside of leaves or
  on maturing fruit

3
Life stages of Queensland Fruit Fly
Eggs

• White in colour, banana shaped
• About 1mm long
• Seldom seen by householders
• Laid in fruit vegetables.

Larvae

• Creamy white through to pale yellow when fully
  grown (9mm)
• Blunt ended at rear
• Tapered towards front end
• Found in fruit vegetables

Pupae

• Hard, brown ,elongated,
• barrel-like shell
• Formed from larvaes own skin
• Found in soil

Adult

• About 8mm long
• Reddish brown with yellow markings
• Female lays up to 300 eggs

4
Life cycle of Queensland Fruit Fly
5
Problems with controlling fruit fly

• Because female fruit fly do not like entering
  small spaces, trapping is not an effective means
  of controlling them.
• Females only need to mate once, so can continue
  to lay fertilized eggs long after the majority of
  males have died.
• People do not understand biology of Queensland
  fruit fly, so do not take appropriate action.
• Fruit fly populations inAlbury-Wodonga can
  becontrolled, but not eradicated.
• People want a quick fix solution to the
  problem, and are not willing to adopt a long term
  approach.

6
Designing a fruit fly trap
There does not appear to be a lot of science to
the construction of afruit fly
trap. Understanding the behaviour and biology of
the fruit fly is the most important aspect for
success.. Commercial traps use a pheromone a
smell which attracts only fruit flies and an
insecticide which kills the fly. They only trap
male fruit fly. Most home made organic recipes
are not specific to fruit fly and attract a wide
range of other insects both good and bad.
7
Controlling QFF in the home garden
Lures, Attractants, Traps
Attract and kill only MALE fruit flies.
Dak-pot Lure Insecticide Trap C165
Fruit fly trap and lure
8
Controlling QFF in the home garden
Lures, Attractants, Traps
Attract and kill only MALE fruit flies.
Wild May Fruit Fly Attractant
A pesticide-free lure for attracting and killing
the male Queensland fruit fly. This product is
derived from native essential oils. Is used
undiluted as a wet trap to attract the male
flies and they either drown or dehydrate. Traps
must be recharged as soon as the liquid
evaporates.
9
DESIGNING A TRAP FOR FEMALE FRUIT FLY
This does not appear feasible. Female fruit fly
do not like entering small spaces. Baiting
appears to be the only effective means of killing
fruit fly. Baiting involves the use of a protein
based bait mixed with an insecticide malathion
(Malidison). Protein bait works the best as
female fruit fly require high levels of protein
to reach maturity and lay eggs. The bait can be
spread over an area of the tree, thereby
eliminating the need for the female fly to enter
a trap. Ensuring females are killed ensures a
reduction in new populations
10
PROTEIN BAITS
NATFLAV 500
DAKPOT
ECO-NATURALURE
11
MEASURING SUCCESS

• Counting the number of deadflies is not
  ameasure of success, why?
• Only males are killed.
• Total population numberwas unknown.
• Fertilised females are stilllaying eggs.
• KEY MEASURE IS
• No infected fruit or Vegetablesare found
• WHEN USING TRAPS
• Only Queensland Fruit Fly are killed.