Plants Usually Affected:
Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Quinces, Figs, Persimmons, Loquats, Citrus, Avocados, Tomatoes, Egg Plans and Capsicum.
Fruit Fly lay their eggs just beneath the skin of ripening fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots where they make their way to the centre of the fruit. The feeding, and the action of rotting organisms introduced when the eggs are deposited, rapidly destroy the fruit.The maggots are typically creamy white and tapered towards the head. They are 7-9 mm long and are quite active if disturbed. The adult flies are approximately 7 mm long, reddish-brown with yellow markings. They can survive over winter and become active again when the warmer weather arrives. The adult flies may live of many weeks and are capable of laying eggs one week after they reach maturity.
What you can do:
Remove all rotting and ripening fruit and place into a plastic bag, tie the top of the bag securely and leave the bag in the sun for 4-5 days. This will kill the maggots.
Do not bury or compost maggot infested fruit.
Controlling Fruit Fly
Stonefruit – Peach, Plum, Nectarine, Grapes & Avocadoes.
Mix 5 ml of Yates Fruit Fly & Insect Killer to 7 litres of water, spray the trees & fruit thoroughly at 6, 4, 3, 2 & 1 week before picking
Pome fruit – Apples, Pears, Quince & Citrus
Mix 10 ml of Yates Fruit Fly & Insect Killer to 7 litres of water and spray trees and fruit thoroughly at 6, 3 & 2 weeks before picking
Tomatoes
Mix 5 ml of Yates Fruit Fly & Insect Killer to 7 litres of water and spray when fruit begins to change from dark greet to lighter green. Repeat spraying every 2 weeks until picking time. Pick any ripe fruit prior to next spraying.