|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are over 12 different types of Australian native pest fruit fly The most serious, the Queensland Fruit Fly (Bactrocera Tryoni) is a native of the Australian Bush and a serious insect pest which attacks a wide range of fruits and vegetables such as peaches, plums, passionfruit, tomatoes, capsicums and citrus to name a few. The Queensland fruit fly is wasp-like in appearance and about 7millimetres (1/4 inch) long; reddish brown with distinct yellow oval markings.
The female fly lays eggs in maturing and ripe fruit with the larvae burrowing inside the fruits and destroying it. Fallen Fruit generally contain fruit fly larvae which burrow into the ground and emerge as adult fruit flies. It is Vital that fallen fruit should be collected and destroyed.
Fruit tree owners are responsible for ensuring fruit is controlled on their properties and failure to control Queensland fruit fly can lead to prosecution under the Plant Diseases Act 1924 with fines of up to $11 000. The cost to Australian agriculture in lost produce from fruit fly attack is over $100 million annually, mostly attributable to the Queensland fruit fly. Before the development of agriculture in Australia, fruit flies bred naturally in the bush and their numbers were kept in check by natural predators. With the development of large mono-culture crops, we have supplied the fruit fly with perfect breeding grounds which has greatly increased its numbers. |
|
|
Wild May is proudly
Australian owned and operated |
|
