Med Fly syn. Mediterranean Fruit Fly Control © Frances Michaels

Med Fly Ceratitis capitata is a serious problem in WA but not found in other states. The adult flies are 4-5 mm long with a yellow body and mottled wings. It attacks citrus and wide range of other fruit, stonefruit and loquats are particularly vulnerable.

Suggested Organic Strategies

• Increase habitats for predators, such as ants, ground beetles, spiders and birds.
• Clean up all infected fruit as soon as possible. To destroy the maggots, immerse fruit in water or even better place in a pot, bring to the boil and then feed it to poultry, or try placing fruit in a sealed, black plastic bag in the sun.
• Use your orchard as a poultry forage area, to aid fruit fly control.
• Select early fruiting trees, to miss the onslaught of fruit fly.
• Grow dwarf varieties or keep trees small.

Handy Hint: The tiny flies that hover around the fruit bowl are fungal gnats, not fruit flies.

More information on organic fruit fly control...

Suggested Products:
Exclusion Products
Insectrap