Queensland fruit flies
The Queensland fruit fly (QFF) is an Australian pest that compromises the safety of fruit and vegetables, threatening Australia's $9 billion horticultural production.
This costs producers significantly in all stages of their distribution process such as:
- implementing prevention measures during growing
- affected fruit is not suitable for sale, making remaining fruit more expensive
- rigorous quarantine conditions limit market access opportunities for sellers
QFF also impacts home gardens where infestation can cause significant issues and requires management. There are several ways you can manage fruit flies at home through monitoring and using control methods such as:
- Exclusion - placing physical barriers over trees and plants to prevent QFF reaching the fruit e.g. using netting, gazebos, bags available from your local nursery or hardware retailer
- Good garden hygiene - pick fruit and vegetables as they ripen, seal unwanted or rotten produce in a sealed plastic bag and leave for five to seven days in the sun (to destroy larvae), exclude unwanted fruit from your compost or worm farm or place it directly into your rubbish bin
- Regular monitoring - use traps or check for fruit damage or stings on fruit surfaces
- Baiting and trapping - traps and baits purchased from hardware stores, nurseries and online targeting both female and male flies before they attack fruit
- Insecticide control - insecticides available from local chemical or home garden retailers
Looking for more information?
Visit:
Download a copy of our QFF Yearly Action Plan(PDF, 173KB) to learn more about how to help control QFF in our community.
Watch these informational videos supplied courtesy of Nillumbik Shire Council: