Fruit fly and the home gardener

The Queensland fruit fly is wasp-like in appearance and about 7 mm long; reddish brown with distinct yellow oval markings.

Female flies lay eggs in maturing and ripe fruit with the larvae burrowing inside the fruit and destroying it.

Fallen fruit generally contains fruit fly larvae which burrow into the ground and emerge as adult fruit flies.

It is important that fallen fruit should be collected and destroyed.

There can be five or more generations of fruit fly in a single growing season.

This Primefact covers the following topics:

• Your responsibilities
• Control measures
• Report problems
• Australia's problem is your problem