The Dunolly and District Community News
Volume 37 Issue 12
Wednesday 6th April 2022
Donation: 50c
Eradication of Fruit Flies
IN THIS ISSUE
The changing climate has meant that fruit flies which were once found further north than Dunolly have now moved in. This very annoying pest lays its eggs in fruit, the maggot hatches inside the fruit and the fruit then rots and falls to the ground. Once the fruit has fallen off the tree, the maggot burrows into the soil, develops into a hard brown pupa and hatches as a fruit fly in Spring. There are a couple of methods that help control it. Check for damaged fruit on the trees, looking for a small hole in the skin or signs of rot. Moving fallen fruit or damaged fruit helps break the cycle. The fly can be destroyed by either freezing, microwaving, boiling, or solarising (sealing fruit inside a plastic bag and leaving it in the sun for at least 14 days). The bagged fruit can then be discarded in your rubbish bin. The Dunolly Community Garden has been making fruit fly traps and these are also available. You can pick them up from 94 Maude Street on Thursdays at 4pm. If you want to make your own trap, the recipe is as follows: ∑ In an empty soft-drink bottle, cut three holes about the size of a 10-cent piece, 10cm from the top ∑ Add the bait mixture to the bottle. Pour in 1 cup of 100 per cent fruit juice (including pulp) and 1 tablespoon of cloudy ammonia (or wheelie bin cleaner). ∑ Tie a string around the neck of the bottle and hang it from the tree in the shade, 1m to 15m off the ground. The mixture can last up to three weeks, but should be changed weekly for best results. Lisa Mahon Dunolly Community Garden
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