HERFS/AUTUMN BONUS TYDSKRIF 2026

Monitoring: your first line of defence Continuous monitoring is the foundation of effective fruit fly management. • Traps: Delta traps (sticky cards with lures), and Bucket/McPhail traps (contain lures plus killing agents). • Lures: Different species require specific attractants. Consult your local pest control advisor. Control measures Fruit fly control must start early in the season and continue after harvesting. A combination of methods works best. • Routine checks: Service traps weekly, year-round. • Fruit sampling: Cut open suspect fruit to confirm that larvae inside are fruit fly and not other pests like codling moth. Export orchards must comply with monitoring requirements for Oriental fruit fly and spotted wing Drosophila. Tiny flies, big headaches 2. Orchard sanitation • Collect fallen fruit from the orchard floor. • Remove & destroy leftover fruit after harvest. • Alternatively, fallen and leftover fruit can be crushed in the work row. • Prevents flies and other pests like codling moth from breeding in unmanaged fruit. 1. Bait sprays • Contain a food source plus insecticide. • Sprayed as coarse droplets onto foliage. • Highly effective against fruit flies while sparing beneficial insects. • Available for ground and aerial application. 3. Bait stations • Small containers with bait and insecticide. • Hung in orchards or gardens. • Especially useful in winter, when flies hide in evergreen plants. 4. Area-wide control • Most effective when growers work together. • Co-ordinated bait applications across farms reduce fly populations. • For Mediterranean fruit fly, the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is an option – sterile males are released to reduce reproduction. • Prevents flies and other pests like codling moth from breeding in unmanaged fruit. Herfs/Autumn 2026 BONUS www.agribonus.co.za 24