Some fundamental things to do as fruit ripens in our common land orchards and at home:

Ants, flies and caterpillars can arrive as fruit ripens. To make sure you get in first, it is recommended that ripening fruit is picked daily from your trees.

Also recommended is vigilance about picking up any fruit on the ground, as this is usually over-ripe and the perfect place for declared pests to find an interest if they happen to be around (hopefully they won't be!).

If grubs or maggots are found in fruit, they need to be put in a bottle and shown to the NEC Coordinator. Any further fruit found in this condition should be placed in a sealed plastic bag and left in the sun, or boiled to destroy the maggots.

Queensland Fruit Fly (Q-fly) and Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Medfly) are serious and notifiable horticultural pests. They should not be around in the Adelaide region, but outbreaks of Q-fly can happen and it is good to be aware. These two pest species are much bigger than the little vinegar or ferment fly which can also be found as small maggots in a variety of ripe fruits. The picture gives a comparison and shows how the smaller vinegar fly holds its wings straighter along the body.



If you are interested in learning more about fruit flies and their maggots, and good orchard hygiene, check the PIRSA Plant Health & Quarantine website at:
http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/planthealth/fruit_fly

Pictures of the two main fruit fly pests are at:
http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/planthealth/fruit_fly/fruit_fly_identification

Cam W - for NEC - Phone: 8557 6281