Residents in Deniliquin and Tocumwal and surrounding areas are being urged to take measures to control and prevent the spread of Queensland fruit fly.   

Queensland fruit fly is one of the biggest pests for home gardeners in the Riverina area.  

NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) Director Plant Biosecurity, Dr Satendra Kumar, said fruit and vegetable growers need to implement good management practices to keep on top of the fruit fly problems that many growers experienced last season.   

“Fruit fly is a community problem and it is the responsibility of all fruit and susceptible vegetable growers to keep fruit fly under control,” Dr Kumar said.  

“These measures will help protect backyard fruit and vegetable growers from the fruit fly pest and assist NSW DPI in protecting the valuable fruit/vegetable industry in the Riverina. 

“People need to be vigilant in the way they manage their backyard fruit trees.”  

There are a number of ways the community can help now, which include:  

• Strip grapefruit, cumquat and navel orange trees of any remaining fruit as soon as possible. Fruit fly larvae are known to survive in these citrus fruit at this time of year and cover sprays may not be very effective at killing them.   
• Reduce lemon numbers to an absolute minimum and keep only what is required for consumption.  
• Loquat trees should be stripped of fruit because they can harbour fruit fly larvae.  
• Apricots and early nectarines are highly susceptible to fruit fly attack and should be cover sprayed in your household treatment program as they begin to ripen.   
• Dispose of any fallen and unwanted fruit by placing it in sealed plastic bags. Leave the bags in the sun for a few days to kill any larvae before placing in the council bin.   
• Don’t compost fallen fruit as the larvae can survive composting.  

Dr Kumar said it is important that backyard fruit owners thinned their crops wherever possible.   

“This will have a twofold effect - there will be less susceptible fruit available and the thinning process should ensure bigger, healthier fruit is left on the tree to ripen,” he said.  

“Once the fruit is ripe, it should be picked straight away.  

“As well, residents should encourage their neighbours to destroy all of their fallen fruit and neglected and unwanted fruit trees should be completely removed.  

“Nearly all fruits and some vegetables such as tomatoes, capsicums, chillies and eggplants are susceptible to Queensland fruit fly.”  

More information on fruit fly control measures is available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/primefacts   

Media contact: Lyndall Hilder 6391 3686 or 0409 383 423