Protect Onkaparinga from fruit fly

PIRSA says simple garden maintenance can go a long way to help prevent fruit fly, and the goal is to remove fruit so it’s not available to fruit fly over winter and into the spring.

It suggests you follow these tips to prevent fruit fly in your garden:

• Pick any ripe and fallen fruit and vegetables at risk from fruit fly to break the life cycle (this gives any female fruit flies no chance to lay eggs).
• Put unwanted at-risk fruit and vegetables in your kerbside green bin (do not compost or bury) if you live in a red outbreak or yellow suspension area.
• Pick up your saw, snips or secateurs and prune back fruit trees so you can pick your fruit more easily next season.
• Check your fruit for blemishes on the skin (which can be an indication of fruit fly stings) and cut it up to look for maggots.

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, seal the fruit in an airtight plastic bag and contact the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010.

If you compost or bury at-risk fruit and vegetables, you could be burying fruit fly maggots and letting them develop into flies which emerge in spring.

PIRSA has arrangements with councils in affected fruit fly areas to ensure green waste is appropriately managed to kill any maggots or flies.

Most of the City of Onkaparinga is currently listed as a green area, with no restrictions applying, but some areas in Thalassa Ward (including parts of Flagstaff Hill) are listed as a yellow area, with restrictions in place to limit the movement of some fruit and vegetables.

Check PIRSA’s fruit fly outbreak map to see if you live in a red or yellow area and find out what you need to do to help protect SA and break the fruit fly life cycle, and find out more tips for maintaining your home garden at the Fruit fly in South Australia website.