I’m interested to find out what others use to combat fruit fly.

Our citrus was a total wipe out by FF last season and it was the first time it’s happened here. all that I spoke to around the town had the same problem. Most of them had never had bad FF infestation before.

All our trees are loaded with minute fruit ATM and I want to be prepared for the FF when they attack. I am not a great lover of bait traps and then again I’m not sure if I really want to spray either. I do want my crop this year though and am willing to do whatever most people recommend.

I know not all of you even have the problem but you can contribute if you want to.

Thanks all.

Nothing on the DPI website (which isn’t the great gardener’s friend it used to be, these days)?

Dinetta said:

Nothing on the DPI website (which isn’t the great gardener’s friend it used to be, these days)?

I’m starting to call the DPI commercial fascists. They tramp all over my yard without permission using whatever chemicals they decide without warning. They do it when I’m not at home too, just walk in..

OK here’s the deal. a) there is a new baitspray put out by Yates which contains spinosad, a naturally occuring substance. This bait attracts and kills fruit fly.

b)the DPI use the 2 litre plastic milk bottles with 3 holes punched or cut ot drilled up near the top. They add a table spoonful of bleach to about 200 mm of orange juice. They they put the lid back on and hang it in a tree.

c) a friend of mine uses the same plastic bottle with Apricot nectar in it.

d) someone rold me they don’t like pineapple juice. So perhaps spraying pineapple juice on a test tree may be of interest.

The main thing is that there is just about nothing you can do if people are moving through your area carrying fruit fly. We really need to go back to the days when no fruit trucks or fruit boxes were allowed into the fruit growing areas. When we had to drive outside a fruit growing area to actually be able to buy a banana and.. we had to eat it there and leave the peels behind.

landline reckons they like the protein in beer – see this article

http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2010/s3028201.htm?site=brisbane

pepe said:

landline reckons they like the protein in beer – see this article

http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2010/s3028201.htm?site=brisbane

can do the same with brewers yeast .. or vegemite.. but these baits require the addition of Malathon or some other contact insecticide.

The spinosad baits now available in Australia are far prefereable, as they do less damage to useful insects or the humans using it.
THe orange juice and bleach is widely used in the MIA by the riverina citrus growers association. Yeast and malathion is used to spray street trees with bait.

Woohoo! Fruit fly management plan is on my list at the moment – they don’t affect most of our citrus crops, but the buggers will get every single mandarin on the tree.

Here is the PDF fact sheet from the WA Ag Dept: http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/content/pw/ins/pp/hort/gn2004_024.pdf

Not sure how applicable that is to the rest of you guys – I haven’t read it properly yet.

The thing I worry about with traps (of any sort), is how many good insects do you end up killing along with the fruit fly?

Since I’m just wanting to protect one little tree, I’m considering getting those little individual fruit bags to keep the mandarins safe. I will be watching this thread very closely!!

bon008 said:

Woohoo! Fruit fly management plan is on my list at the moment – they don’t affect most of our citrus crops, but the buggers will get every single mandarin on the tree.

Here is the PDF fact sheet from the WA Ag Dept: http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/content/pw/ins/pp/hort/gn2004_024.pdf

Not sure how applicable that is to the rest of you guys – I haven’t read it properly yet.

The thing I worry about with traps (of any sort), is how many good insects do you end up killing along with the fruit fly?

Since I’m just wanting to protect one little tree, I’m considering getting those little individual fruit bags to keep the mandarins safe. I will be watching this thread very closely!!

The bleach and orange juice seems to catch more blowflies than fruitflies but the Dept of Ag guys say it seems to be the best for fruit fly as well.

roughbarked said:

The bleach and orange juice seems to catch more blowflies than fruitflies but the Dept of Ag guys say it seems to be the best for fruit fly as well.

Oh well, blowflies aren’t really considered useful, are they??

I’m not sure if we’ll ever beat the fruit flies – the neighbours have a massive grapefruit tree and I’m not sure if they do anything about the fruit fly. Be a learning process to try a few things out though.

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

The bleach and orange juice seems to catch more blowflies than fruitflies but the Dept of Ag guys say it seems to be the best for fruit fly as well.

Oh well, blowflies aren’t really considered useful, are they??

I’m not sure if we’ll ever beat the fruit flies – the neighbours have a massive grapefruit tree and I’m not sure if they do anything about the fruit fly. Be a learning process to try a few things out though.

From my limited experience, which is also quite vast.. I live inside a fruit fly exclusion zone yet I have been inundated by fruit fly at least once every decade I’ve been here. It is my contention that fruit fly can set up residence if trees such as grapefruit are left untended since these fruits can protect them from the cold.

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

The bleach and orange juice seems to catch more blowflies than fruitflies but the Dept of Ag guys say it seems to be the best for fruit fly as well.

Oh well, blowflies aren’t really considered useful, are they??

I’m not sure if we’ll ever beat the fruit flies – the neighbours have a massive grapefruit tree and I’m not sure if they do anything about the fruit fly. Be a learning process to try a few things out though.

From my limited experience, which is also quite vast.. I live inside a fruit fly exclusion zone yet I have been inundated by fruit fly at least once every decade I’ve been here. It is my contention that fruit fly can set up residence if trees such as grapefruit are left untended since these fruits can protect them from the cold.

That makes sense to me. Well, we get on quite well with those neighbours, so if I manage to have some success with whatever methods I use, I could pop over and chat to her and see if she’s interested in trying something out. I bet her kids would see it as an awesomely fun science experiment :)

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

Oh well, blowflies aren’t really considered useful, are they??

I’m not sure if we’ll ever beat the fruit flies – the neighbours have a massive grapefruit tree and I’m not sure if they do anything about the fruit fly. Be a learning process to try a few things out though.

From my limited experience, which is also quite vast.. I live inside a fruit fly exclusion zone yet I have been inundated by fruit fly at least once every decade I’ve been here. It is my contention that fruit fly can set up residence if trees such as grapefruit are left untended since these fruits can protect them from the cold.

That makes sense to me. Well, we get on quite well with those neighbours, so if I manage to have some success with whatever methods I use, I could pop over and chat to her and see if she’s interested in trying something out. I bet her kids would see it as an awesomely fun science experiment :)

Well, if they don’t use the fruit for at least blended juices or for glacés then they should probably re-graft it to something they do eat or remove it. However it it important that they remove all fruit and dispose of it when ripe or dropping.. Don’t let fruit mummify on the tree or on the ground. Observation will show if fruit fly have been laying eggs.

The important part is to not allow theses maggots to mature and escape. Late apples and persimmons could also be problematic, in cooler climes. There isn’t much one can do if one doesn’t get frosts, other than apply sprays and baits. Once I remembe a man tried to convince his local shire in the Blue Mountains that if they ringed the town with Dak-Pots that they would have no problem with fruit flies.. This seems to be more the type of action taken today by DPI. That spreading baits all around suspected entry points does help to monitor and possibly prevent outbreaks.

Since I’m just wanting to protect one little tree,
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Just cover the tree with insect netting Bon.
Once you have it done you don’t have to do anything else and you get all the fruit.

roughbarked said:

Well, if they don’t use the fruit for at least blended juices or for glacés then they should probably re-graft it to something they do eat or remove it. However it it important that they remove all fruit and dispose of it when ripe or dropping.. Don’t let fruit mummify on the tree or on the ground. Observation will show if fruit fly have been laying eggs.

The important part is to not allow theses maggots to mature and escape. Late apples and persimmons could also be problematic, in cooler climes. There isn’t much one can do if one doesn’t get frosts, other than apply sprays and baits. Once I remembe a man tried to convince his local shire in the Blue Mountains that if they ringed the town with Dak-Pots that they would have no problem with fruit flies.. This seems to be more the type of action taken today by DPI. That spreading baits all around suspected entry points does help to monitor and possibly prevent outbreaks.

A bunch of the grapefruit grows on our side of the fence – but neither of our households eat grapefruit :( On my side, I bin all the fruit I can reach before they’re big enough to fall – the stuff I can’t reach I pick up on a daily basis. I don’t think they’ll ever get rid of the tree – it’s a great tree for shade and climbing.

Here’s another thing I’ve wondered. I put the fallen fruit into a bucket which sits in the (outdoor) laundry until bin day, generally.

Could you use a few fruit in a bucket as a trap? If the eggs got laid into that fruit, would the maggots be able to escape the bucket?

Longy said:

Since I’m just wanting to protect one little tree,
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Just cover the tree with insect netting Bon.
Once you have it done you don’t have to do anything else and you get all the fruit.

OK, if I did this – do I need a frame or can I just drape netting over the tree, and cinch it around the trunk? Can you get fruit-fly-proof netting at Bunnings?

Presumably you have to wait until the fruit has definitely well and truly set – anything else I would need to know?

:) Love this thread!

bon008 said:

Longy said:

Since I’m just wanting to protect one little tree,
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Just cover the tree with insect netting Bon.
Once you have it done you don’t have to do anything else and you get all the fruit.

OK, if I did this – do I need a frame or can I just drape netting over the tree, and cinch it around the trunk? Can you get fruit-fly-proof netting at Bunnings?

Presumably you have to wait until the fruit has definitely well and truly set – anything else I would need to know?

:) Love this thread!

He means mosquito netting and yes you will have to not allow any part of the net to come within close proximity of fruit. and no you should not wait until the fruit swells. immediately after pollination and keep it there until the fruit is ripe.
pick all the fruit within one week of removing the net.

Do not bin fruit suspected of being infected. In fact if fruit fly are around at all binning fruit should also be banned. All fruit must be wrapped in double plastic garbage bags and left in the HOT sun for at least three days before binning.

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

Longy said:

Since I’m just wanting to protect one little tree,
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Just cover the tree with insect netting Bon.
Once you have it done you don’t have to do anything else and you get all the fruit.

OK, if I did this – do I need a frame or can I just drape netting over the tree, and cinch it around the trunk? Can you get fruit-fly-proof netting at Bunnings?

Presumably you have to wait until the fruit has definitely well and truly set – anything else I would need to know?

:) Love this thread!

He means mosquito netting and yes you will have to not allow any part of the net to come within close proximity of fruit. and no you should not wait until the fruit swells. immediately after pollination and keep it there until the fruit is ripe.
pick all the fruit within one week of removing the net.

Hmm.. well, I do have a mosquito net around the bed I’ve been meaning to replace :D Only problem is I’d have to repair all the holes Mr Bon and the dog have made :(

roughbarked said:

Do not bin fruit suspected of being infected. In fact if fruit fly are around at all binning fruit should also be banned. All fruit must be wrapped in double plastic garbage bags and left in the HOT sun for at least three days before binning.

Oh, OK – because otherwise they will breed up in the bin and then escape back into the garden??

I will have to stock up on some black plastic bags.

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

OK, if I did this – do I need a frame or can I just drape netting over the tree, and cinch it around the trunk? Can you get fruit-fly-proof netting at Bunnings?

Presumably you have to wait until the fruit has definitely well and truly set – anything else I would need to know?

:) Love this thread!

He means mosquito netting and yes you will have to not allow any part of the net to come within close proximity of fruit. and no you should not wait until the fruit swells. immediately after pollination and keep it there until the fruit is ripe.
pick all the fruit within one week of removing the net.

Hmm.. well, I do have a mosquito net around the bed I’ve been meaning to replace :D Only problem is I’d have to repair all the holes Mr Bon and the dog have made :(

Fruit fly are as small and more resourceful than mosquitoes. Fruit cannot slap the bities.. like humans can.

Nets would have to be new and .. well affixed.. The plants in question will also have never been affected by fruit fly beforehand as they pupate in the soil under the tree.

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

He means mosquito netting and yes you will have to not allow any part of the net to come within close proximity of fruit. and no you should not wait until the fruit swells. immediately after pollination and keep it there until the fruit is ripe.
pick all the fruit within one week of removing the net.

Hmm.. well, I do have a mosquito net around the bed I’ve been meaning to replace :D Only problem is I’d have to repair all the holes Mr Bon and the dog have made :(

Fruit fly are as small and more resourceful than mosquitoes. Fruit cannot slap the bities.. like humans can.

Nets would have to be new and .. well affixed.. The plants in question will also have never been affected by fruit fly beforehand as they pupate in the soil under the tree.

Oh, well that’s probably not going to work then. I still think the individual fruit bags might be worth a try?

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

Hmm.. well, I do have a mosquito net around the bed I’ve been meaning to replace :D Only problem is I’d have to repair all the holes Mr Bon and the dog have made :(

Fruit fly are as small and more resourceful than mosquitoes. Fruit cannot slap the bities.. like humans can.

Nets would have to be new and .. well affixed.. The plants in question will also have never been affected by fruit fly beforehand as they pupate in the soil under the tree.

Oh, well that’s probably not going to work then. I still think the individual fruit bags might be worth a try?

Well, if the soil under that tree is sprayed with a 21 day holding period chemical every 19 days then perhaps they won’t hatch from under that tree.
If the yard is ringed with traps to stop infestations arriving.. If you spray bait sprays to leaves and bark around the yard, before fruit reaches ripening stages and you dispose of every unused fruit properly, perhaps you may reap the fruit of your efforts.

roughbarked said:

Well, if the soil under that tree is sprayed with a 21 day holding period chemical every 19 days then perhaps they won’t hatch from under that tree.
If the yard is ringed with traps to stop infestations arriving.. If you spray bait sprays to leaves and bark around the yard, before fruit reaches ripening stages and you dispose of every unused fruit properly, perhaps you may reap the fruit of your efforts.

Thus far I’ve just been eating around the affected bits of fruit, so at least I got some mandarin :D

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

Well, if the soil under that tree is sprayed with a 21 day holding period chemical every 19 days then perhaps they won’t hatch from under that tree.
If the yard is ringed with traps to stop infestations arriving.. If you spray bait sprays to leaves and bark around the yard, before fruit reaches ripening stages and you dispose of every unused fruit properly, perhaps you may reap the fruit of your efforts.

Thus far I’ve just been eating around the affected bits of fruit, so at least I got some mandarin :D

I used to have two qld’ers living across the road from me.. and they always said that you simply eat around teh fruit fly maggots but from my experience they may have been referring to such as a mandarin where the segments are separated .. if not penetrated.

let me inform you that if you catch the loquats/apricots quickly enough and make them into Jam or Preserves.. that you’ll probably beat fruit fly on a temperate climate block but in sub-tropical or tropics that couldn’t work.

I’m cooking a roast chook tonight and I’d like to jazz it up a bit but I don’t want to go to the shops.

If I pack the cavity with lemon thyme, lemon grass and a bit of rosemary will that be as effective as a lemon?

Any ideas?

bubba louie said:

I’m cooking a roast chook tonight and I’d like to jazz it up a bit but I don’t want to go to the shops.

If I pack the cavity with lemon thyme, lemon grass and a bit of rosemary will that be as effective as a lemon?

Any ideas?

Woops should be in chat.

http://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol/fruit_fly_intro.html

bubba louie said:

http://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol/fruit_fly_intro.html

Thanks BL, I will have a look into the products listed there.

a) there is a new baitspray put out by Yates which contains spinosad, a naturally occuring substance. This bait attracts and kills fruit fly.
===============

I don’t know about the yates one but Eco has one called Eco Naturalure.

bubba louie said:

a) there is a new baitspray put out by Yates which contains spinosad, a naturally occuring substance. This bait attracts and kills fruit fly.
===============

I don’t know about the yates one but Eco has one called Eco Naturalure.

When I was tidying up in the laundry the other day, I discovered I have a little tub of this! Must have bought it with plans to try it out.. and then gotten distracted.

bon008 said:

Longy said:

Since I’m just wanting to protect one little tree,
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Just cover the tree with insect netting Bon.
Once you have it done you don’t have to do anything else and you get all the fruit.

OK, if I did this – do I need a frame or can I just drape netting over the tree, and cinch it around the trunk? Can you get fruit-fly-proof netting at Bunnings?

Presumably you have to wait until the fruit has definitely well and truly set – anything else I would need to know?

:) Love this thread!

Best way i have found is to get a cheap as chips frame from an elcheapo shop. A 2.4m x 2.4m pergola thingy with a roof in it. The roof will last one season. The frame will last years.
From Bunnings you can buy a pergola mozzie net ready to go. It’s actually 3m x 3m. They have smaller ones for umbrellas. No roof in them, just a drawstring. UV treated, last for years too.
For a roof in the second year i just fix a bit of shadecloth over the top.

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

Hmm.. well, I do have a mosquito net around the bed I’ve been meaning to replace :D Only problem is I’d have to repair all the holes Mr Bon and the dog have made :(

Fruit fly are as small and more resourceful than mosquitoes. Fruit cannot slap the bities.. like humans can.

Nets would have to be new and .. well affixed.. The plants in question will also have never been affected by fruit fly beforehand as they pupate in the soil under the tree.

Oh, well that’s probably not going to work then. I still think the individual fruit bags might be worth a try?

Individual fruit bags didn’t work for me.
The bludgers were stinging the fruit thru the bag.

bubba louie said:

I’m cooking a roast chook tonight and I’d like to jazz it up a bit but I don’t want to go to the shops.

If I pack the cavity with lemon thyme, lemon grass and a bit of rosemary will that be as effective as a lemon?

Any ideas?

Yes. Not sure why rosemary tho’…

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

I’m cooking a roast chook tonight and I’d like to jazz it up a bit but I don’t want to go to the shops.

If I pack the cavity with lemon thyme, lemon grass and a bit of rosemary will that be as effective as a lemon?

Any ideas?

Yes. Not sure why rosemary tho’…

I’ve seen quite a few variations that use Rosemary.

Anyway I ended up going to the shop because I was out of garlic, so it now has a cavity filled with a quartered lemon and some garlic cloves.

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

I’m cooking a roast chook tonight and I’d like to jazz it up a bit but I don’t want to go to the shops.

If I pack the cavity with lemon thyme, lemon grass and a bit of rosemary will that be as effective as a lemon?

Any ideas?

Yes. Not sure why rosemary tho’…

I’ve seen quite a few variations that use Rosemary.

Anyway I ended up going to the shop because I was out of garlic, so it now has a cavity filled with a quartered lemon and some garlic cloves.

My stomache rumbled after reading that…sniffs air hopefully

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

Yes. Not sure why rosemary tho’…

I’ve seen quite a few variations that use Rosemary.

Anyway I ended up going to the shop because I was out of garlic, so it now has a cavity filled with a quartered lemon and some garlic cloves.

My stomache rumbled after reading that…sniffs air hopefully

Oh strewth, not again!

Sorry Pomolo…

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

Yes. Not sure why rosemary tho’…

I’ve seen quite a few variations that use Rosemary.

Anyway I ended up going to the shop because I was out of garlic, so it now has a cavity filled with a quartered lemon and some garlic cloves.

My stomache rumbled after reading that…sniffs air hopefully

Fans cooking smells D’s direction.

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

I’ve seen quite a few variations that use Rosemary.

Anyway I ended up going to the shop because I was out of garlic, so it now has a cavity filled with a quartered lemon and some garlic cloves.

My stomache rumbled after reading that…sniffs air hopefully

Fans cooking smells D’s direction.

Fruitfly thread officially hijacked.

Longy said:

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

My stomache rumbled after reading that…sniffs air hopefully

Fans cooking smells D’s direction.

Fruitfly thread officially hijacked.

It was an accident. :(

bubba louie said:

Longy said:

bubba louie said:

Fans cooking smells D’s direction.

Fruitfly thread officially hijacked.

It was an accident. :(

SO were half the people on the planet.
Doesn’t mean it’s a good thing ;-)

bubba louie said:

Longy said:

bubba louie said:

Fans cooking smells D’s direction.

Fruitfly thread officially hijacked.

It was an accident. :(

Me two…

Dunno pom but the best method to combat fruit fly is move to where there is very little chance of it happening…works for me :)

drylander1 said:

Dunno pom but the best method to combat fruit fly is move to where there is very little chance of it happening…works for me :)

I thought I lived there until people came and brought fruit fly with them.

This is the type of shade structure i’m on about. I have purchased one of these from an el cheapo store for under $30.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/search.aspx?searchTerm=gazebo&searchType=any

Longy said:

This is the type of shade structure i’m on about. I have purchased one of these from an el cheapo store for under $30.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/search.aspx?searchTerm=gazebo&searchType=any

The B shop also sell the drawstring nets to put over these types of things. I have purchased one for $17 but it was at the end of Summer. Prolly closer to $30 at this time of year.

This system will work on fruitfly. Nothing else i have tried comes close.
If there have been fruitfly before, let the chooks under the cover for a week or so, they’ll clean it up.
Last year i lost about a dozen oranges, probably to existing fly larvae in the soil. This year i lost 2. So i harvested about 150 or more. Plenty frozen juice.

If we get fruitfly here, I can cover the whole mini orchard with a frame and netting. Then shove in resident chooks. I haven’t seen it or heard of it in this area, yet. fingers crossed.

Happy Potter said:

If we get fruitfly here, I can cover the whole mini orchard with a frame and netting. Then shove in resident chooks. I haven’t seen it or heard of it in this area, yet. fingers crossed.

A good frost certainly slows them down. SOmething we only experience here very rarely.

Longy said:

This is the type of shade structure i’m on about. I have purchased one of these from an el cheapo store for under $30.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/search.aspx?searchTerm=gazebo&searchType=any

won’t cope with any sort of wind conditions. believe me, I know!

Happy Potter said:

If we get fruitfly here, I can cover the whole mini orchard with a frame and netting. Then shove in resident chooks. I haven’t seen it or heard of it in this area, yet. fingers crossed.

AFAIK Victoria is still more or less a fruit fly free zone.

Dinetta said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

I’ve seen quite a few variations that use Rosemary.

Anyway I ended up going to the shop because I was out of garlic, so it now has a cavity filled with a quartered lemon and some garlic cloves.

My stomache rumbled after reading that…sniffs air hopefully

Oh strewth, not again!

Sorry Pomolo…

It could just as easily have been me because I’ve been known to have done it on several occasions.

drylander1 said:

Dunno pom but the best method to combat fruit fly is move to where there is very little chance of it happening…works for me :)

I’ve ask my trees if they wanted to move but they refuse. Looks like we’re stuck here DL.

Longy said:

This is the type of shade structure i’m on about. I have purchased one of these from an el cheapo store for under $30.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/search.aspx?searchTerm=gazebo&searchType=any

At this stage I would need 14 of them but I certainly understand why they work well.

bluegreen said:

Longy said:

This is the type of shade structure i’m on about. I have purchased one of these from an el cheapo store for under $30.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/search.aspx?searchTerm=gazebo&searchType=any

won’t cope with any sort of wind conditions. believe me, I know!

good thought BG. Storms and hail might write them off too.

Lots of big thank yous’ to you all. I think I will have to investigate the Eco Naturelure and the Spinosad baiting system.

You were right about the DPI Dinetta. They have bits on the papaya fruit fly and the mediteranian fruit fly but nil, zero, zilch on the Qld fruit fly.

The battle will begin as soon as I make the purchases.

http://fruitfly.net.au/

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/archive/news-releases/agriculture/2008/school-competition-fruit-fly

bluegreen said:

Longy said:

This is the type of shade structure i’m on about. I have purchased one of these from an el cheapo store for under $30.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/search.aspx?searchTerm=gazebo&searchType=any

won’t cope with any sort of wind conditions. believe me, I know!

They will if you tie them down properly Beej.
I run lines internally to the tree. Others externally as well and it’ll stay there. Especially if you heve replaced the roof with shadecloth.

Longy said:

bluegreen said:

Longy said:

This is the type of shade structure i’m on about. I have purchased one of these from an el cheapo store for under $30.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/search.aspx?searchTerm=gazebo&searchType=any

won’t cope with any sort of wind conditions. believe me, I know!

They will if you tie them down properly Beej.
I run lines internally to the tree. Others externally as well and it’ll stay there. Especially if you heve replaced the roof with shadecloth.

the shade cloth might make the difference. I had one with the regular cover and the frame bent and broke in the wind.

The November GA magazine has an article on fruit fly, by Josh. I might make an effort to buy that one…

bon008 said:

The November GA magazine has an article on fruit fly, by Josh. I might make an effort to buy that one…

Thanks for the hint Bon. I wonder if it says anything new. I’d like to know before I buy it.

pomolo said:

bon008 said:

The November GA magazine has an article on fruit fly, by Josh. I might make an effort to buy that one…

Thanks for the hint Bon. I wonder if it says anything new. I’d like to know before I buy it.

The only new things is that the Riverina citrus growers want to push all back yard fruit trees out and are putting a bill to government..

roughbarked said:

pomolo said:

bon008 said:

The November GA magazine has an article on fruit fly, by Josh. I might make an effort to buy that one…

Thanks for the hint Bon. I wonder if it says anything new. I’d like to know before I buy it.

The only new things is that the Riverina citrus growers want to push all back yard fruit trees out and are putting a bill to government..

How will that work? Just the riverina area ? and how big is the riverina area?

Education is the key, as with most things. When one want’s to pop out to the nursery for a couple fruit trees, one should be handed a booklet and have to do a course on ‘ Responsible Tree Ownership’.

Likewise, I live in an apple growing area and I have backyard apples. I am aware of the problems and am making sure I don’t add to them.

Education is the key, as with most things. When one want’s to pop out to the nursery for a couple fruit trees, one should be handed a booklet and have to do a course on ’ Responsible Tree Ownership’.

………………….

I agree for certain areas, how ever the cost incurred would be past on to the consumer ?

Actually they won’t be able to get that bill through as the Riverina will lose half of it’s water so they citrus growers will lose most of their pulling power. However if the Govt decided it was a goer.. they would do as they did with willows and poplars.. ban nurseries from growing and supplying them.

Thee said:

Education is the key, as with most things. When one want’s to pop out to the nursery for a couple fruit trees, one should be handed a booklet and have to do a course on ’ Responsible Tree Ownership’.

………………….

I agree for certain areas, how ever the cost incurred would be past on to the consumer ?

Well, if you want the fruit you pay the loot. The cost to the industry and livelihoods is too great otherwise.

Happy Potter said:

Thee said:

Education is the key, as with most things. When one want’s to pop out to the nursery for a couple fruit trees, one should be handed a booklet and have to do a course on ’ Responsible Tree Ownership’.

………………….

I agree for certain areas, how ever the cost incurred would be past on to the consumer ?

Yes it remains the same that part. the consumer always pays.

Well, if you want the fruit you pay the loot. The cost to the industry and livelihoods is too great otherwise.

pomolo said:

bon008 said:

The November GA magazine has an article on fruit fly, by Josh. I might make an effort to buy that one…

Thanks for the hint Bon. I wonder if it says anything new. I’d like to know before I buy it.

nods I’m keen to buy it because, with Josh as author, I’m hoping it’s more WA applicable than a lot of the info out there. I’ll report back once I’ve got a copy..

bon008 said:

pomolo said:

bon008 said:

The November GA magazine has an article on fruit fly, by Josh. I might make an effort to buy that one…

Thanks for the hint Bon. I wonder if it says anything new. I’d like to know before I buy it.

nods I’m keen to buy it because, with Josh as author, I’m hoping it’s more WA applicable than a lot of the info out there. I’ll report back once I’ve got a copy..

If it is about Qld Fruit fly it will be applicable Australia wide.

roughbarked said:

The bleach and orange juice seems to catch more blowflies than fruitflies but the Dept of Ag guys say it seems to be the best for fruit fly as well.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing :)

Hey Fruit Fly interested people – coming up on GA this week:

Fruit Fly: Josh Byrne explains how to protect crops from fruit fly attack.

So I might wait and watch this before buying the magazine. I usually resist buying magazines as I flick through ‘em once, put ‘em down, and that’s it – waste of money. But I have been meaning to start a few A4 gardening files to put away all the scraps of recipes etc that I’ve written down, so magazine cuttings could go in there…

To the Householder:

NSW DPI has commenced Backyard Treatment for Fruit Fly in your area. Do not remove any fruit from your property. We have cover sprayed trees on your property (marked with tape) using Fenthion(Lebayacid). For the next 7 days do not harvest fruit or pick flowers do not eat any of the fruit.. Do not contact trees marked with tape.

There isn’t any fruit fly here. at least at present. and This action was carried out without my knowledge or any otifivation.. notes placed on doors blow around the yard.. Lucky I found it but the fact remains that

This is an invasion of privacy and human rights by a commercial enterprise we know is responsible for ruining the Murray Darling Basin.

oops.. notification..

Yes it is a crime against humanity to stop us from enjoying our own fruit. When it is usually the larger commercial interests such as Woolworths and Coles… Not to mention the well heeeled farmers who import fruit containing fruit fly.

roughbarked said:

To the Householder:

NSW DPI has commenced Backyard Treatment for Fruit Fly in your area. Do not remove any fruit from your property. We have cover sprayed trees on your property (marked with tape) using Fenthion(Lebayacid). For the next 7 days do not harvest fruit or pick flowers do not eat any of the fruit.. Do not contact trees marked with tape.

There isn’t any fruit fly here. at least at present. and This action was carried out without my knowledge or any otifivation.. notes placed on doors blow around the yard.. Lucky I found it but the fact remains that

This is an invasion of privacy and human rights by a commercial enterprise we know is responsible for ruining the Murray Darling Basin.

gosh! what will they do on certified organic farms? Spray willy-nilly and ruin all the hard work they have done to get there?

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

To the Householder:

NSW DPI has commenced Backyard Treatment for Fruit Fly in your area. Do not remove any fruit from your property. We have cover sprayed trees on your property (marked with tape) using Fenthion(Lebayacid). For the next 7 days do not harvest fruit or pick flowers do not eat any of the fruit.. Do not contact trees marked with tape.

There isn’t any fruit fly here. at least at present. and This action was carried out without my knowledge or any otifivation.. notes placed on doors blow around the yard.. Lucky I found it but the fact remains that

This is an invasion of privacy and human rights by a commercial enterprise we know is responsible for ruining the Murray Darling Basin.

gosh! what will they do on certified organic farms? Spray willy-nilly and ruin all the hard work they have done to get there?

If I had the money I’d take them to court.

What is needed is a backyard fruitgrowers association so we can.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

To the Householder:

NSW DPI has commenced Backyard Treatment for Fruit Fly in your area. Do not remove any fruit from your property. We have cover sprayed trees on your property (marked with tape) using Fenthion(Lebayacid). For the next 7 days do not harvest fruit or pick flowers do not eat any of the fruit.. Do not contact trees marked with tape.

There isn’t any fruit fly here. at least at present. and This action was carried out without my knowledge or any otifivation.. notes placed on doors blow around the yard.. Lucky I found it but the fact remains that

This is an invasion of privacy and human rights by a commercial enterprise we know is responsible for ruining the Murray Darling Basin.

gosh! what will they do on certified organic farms? Spray willy-nilly and ruin all the hard work they have done to get there?

If I had the money I’d take them to court.

What is needed is a backyard fruitgrowers association so we can.

What if you didn’t find the notice and touched the tree and ate the fruit? How does one go about creating a backyard fruitgrowers association ?

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

gosh! what will they do on certified organic farms? Spray willy-nilly and ruin all the hard work they have done to get there?

If I had the money I’d take them to court.

What is needed is a backyard fruitgrowers association so we can.

What if you didn’t find the notice and touched the tree and ate the fruit? How does one go about creating a backyard fruitgrowers association ?

THis is the point as I had eaten loquats on the way from car to house.

beautiful they were too.. huge juicy and yummy.. not a single effing fruit fly to be seen

and.. no indication that they had been srayed until I contacted my wife whom seems sure that’s what they did.. however therere not ribbons or any sign to inform me.

roughbarked said:

and.. no indication that they had been srayed until I contacted my wife whom seems sure that’s what they did.. however therere not ribbons or any sign to inform me.

will you contact them to ask about it ?

roughbarked said:

To the Householder:

NSW DPI has commenced Backyard Treatment for Fruit Fly in your area. Do not remove any fruit from your property. We have cover sprayed trees on your property (marked with tape) using Fenthion(Lebayacid). For the next 7 days do not harvest fruit or pick flowers do not eat any of the fruit.. Do not contact trees marked with tape.

There isn’t any fruit fly here. at least at present. and This action was carried out without my knowledge or any otifivation.. notes placed on doors blow around the yard.. Lucky I found it but the fact remains that

This is an invasion of privacy and human rights by a commercial enterprise we know is responsible for ruining the Murray Darling Basin.

a nightmare – what the heck is their reasoning – or isn’t there any?

a nightmare – what the heck is their reasoning – or isn’t there any?

> This is designated as a fruit fly exclusion zone..
and…

The pretence that it is the backyard gardener’s fault that the multi billion dollar citrus industry cannot sell fruit if fruit fly is found in the area. Yet the fruit farmers have cousins all over the country and when they visit, they get a box of fruit or six, usully they swap ie: one farmer brings some of his and takes home some of the others.. This fruit may well be fruit fly free at the time of exchange but there is plenty of opportunity for it to be infected in transit. The thing is that they should know better than to endanger their own industry.. It is just that their ethnic culture requires this exchange of gifts of food. Plus the fact that they bring in several bulk bins of tomatoes for each family to make sauce.

The DPI would definitely be better off spending the money they spend harrassing backyard gardeners.. on blocking the roads like they used to do into all fruit fly exclusion zones.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

and.. no indication that they had been srayed until I contacted my wife whom seems sure that’s what they did.. however therere not ribbons or any sign to inform me.

will you contact them to ask about it ?

I rang three times yesterday before 5 pm and was told that this is the Department of Fruit Fly research @ Yanco Ag research station but that no one could take my call. I told them the situation. Three times. I’ve had no response. That they had ppresumably sprayed a tree at my place and that I’d eaten the fruit being unaware due to lack of signage. I say presumably because I found the note later. I didn’t find the ribbon on the tree nor was it stated on the note.. which tree had been sprayed.

Now to readdress the fruit fly issue and my comments..

Yes I had eaten fruit from a tree sprayed with Fenthion that day
No it hadn’t been signposted.

Yes I did ring the fruit fly research centre number and was met with answering machine four times

Yes, I am smart enough to peel loquats before eating.

Yes I did eventually get onto the actual person who did the work of both spraying the tree and not signposting it.
He apologised.. and informed me of the fact that he had found fruit fly larvae in the tree and that this had surprised him since he hadn’t ever recorded fruit fly in that tree beforehand and that the region he covers has fruit fly in all the loquats this year which is the first time ever recorded.
His omission of signage on the tree is due to the fact that he had told my wife.. though he wasn’t to know that I wasn’t in constant mobile contact
or that my wife would think it important enough to inform me and that he had a phone call to summon him elsewhere so he had neglected to do the tying on of the ribbon..

Yes, my wife was suitably mortified enough to do this: make signs to hang on the tree to inform local village children not to eat the fruit.

So all is well that ends well there.

Another interesting fact to add to this part of the mix is that he told me that he had recently read a repport that fruit fly are actually capable of flying up to 800 km.. so that pretty much stymies most attempts to fully eradicate them since the major cities of Australia have such huge stocks of fruit fly due to the fact that everybody is too timid to encroach upon city people’s lives with chemical sprays, tree removals and the like.

I added that most of what I do to earn a crust is to make trees for city garden centres which include the traditional types of various Prunus and Malus ornamental flowering but otherwise still fruiting trees. I asked what he was doing with local shires about the various members of such fruiting ornamentals such as Prunus Malus and Pyriformis species. He told me that there is actually a process in situ whereby the shires cooperate in removal of any such tree that is signed off as approved for removal by the incumbent residents butthat some incumbents refuse.
Not only to allow removal.. but to actually make an effort to clean up the fallen fruit..

Anyway the nub of this is that those who thought I don’t liase with the people I was complaining about last night.. are erroneous in their estimation of me.

I’ve been doing this stuff all my life and have always liased..

just that last night I was demanding explanations on this issue.. and today.. I found Gary’s phone #

I and he realised that yes.. we have often talked face to face about this.

Anyway this should make most people realise that we will never get organic fruit again..

That qweenzland fruit fly is now commonplace in all fruit fly exclusion zones in southern Australia.. and at overpopulation levels in all eastern seaboard cities.
Mediterranean fruit fly is a pest of the west .. of oz..

That such things as frost which originally kept us safe.. are now no longer effective due to the fact that we have gone from 75 consecutive frosts as our record since records have been made(in my area).. to no more than five frosts and none of them could really be called consecutive. Which is one of many points I raised with Gary and he agreed that these things were the case.

He also introduced the fact that people were importing ethnic foods which really have to be imported frozen to avoid them importing more fruit fly species.

We had a bit of discussion about the ethnic issues in regard to things like the Italian food sharing I mentioned above. He agreed too that Ethnic cultures in Australia were a severe problem with being able to do any more than just attempt any method of limitation of risk. He had to agree that if it wasn’t kept cold stored between cold stores.. it had chance of infection in transmit.

so we have it in a nutshell

the MDB is buggered anyway as a fruit exporting region unless all fruit in and out is picked green and cold stored.
well there goes fresh fruit for anyone that wants it..

So why are we wasting water on producing cricket balls that people throw in the bin anyway?

Enough to turn anyone into a conspiracy theorist, eh, RB?

pretty depressing but at least you got to find out what you needed to know.

pepe said:

roughbarked said:

To the Householder:

NSW DPI has commenced Backyard Treatment for Fruit Fly in your area. Do not remove any fruit from your property. We have cover sprayed trees on your property (marked with tape) using Fenthion(Lebayacid). For the next 7 days do not harvest fruit or pick flowers do not eat any of the fruit.. Do not contact trees marked with tape.

There isn’t any fruit fly here. at least at present. and This action was carried out without my knowledge or any otifivation.. notes placed on doors blow around the yard.. Lucky I found it but the fact remains that

This is an invasion of privacy and human rights by a commercial enterprise we know is responsible for ruining the Murray Darling Basin.

a nightmare – what the heck is their reasoning – or isn’t there any?

What a cheek!

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

and.. no indication that they had been srayed until I contacted my wife whom seems sure that’s what they did.. however therere not ribbons or any sign to inform me.

will you contact them to ask about it ?

I rang three times yesterday before 5 pm and was told that this is the Department of Fruit Fly research @ Yanco Ag research station but that no one could take my call. I told them the situation. Three times. I’ve had no response. That they had ppresumably sprayed a tree at my place and that I’d eaten the fruit being unaware due to lack of signage. I say presumably because I found the note later. I didn’t find the ribbon on the tree nor was it stated on the note.. which tree had been sprayed.

Tell Current Affair if no one else will listen.

roughbarked said:

Now to readdress the fruit fly issue and my comments..

Yes I had eaten fruit from a tree sprayed with Fenthion that day
No it hadn’t been signposted.

Yes I did ring the fruit fly research centre number and was met with answering machine four times

Yes, I am smart enough to peel loquats before eating.

Yes I did eventually get onto the actual person who did the work of both spraying the tree and not signposting it.
He apologised.. and informed me of the fact that he had found fruit fly larvae in the tree and that this had surprised him since he hadn’t ever recorded fruit fly in that tree beforehand and that the region he covers has fruit fly in all the loquats this year which is the first time ever recorded.
His omission of signage on the tree is due to the fact that he had told my wife.. though he wasn’t to know that I wasn’t in constant mobile contact
or that my wife would think it important enough to inform me and that he had a phone call to summon him elsewhere so he had neglected to do the tying on of the ribbon..

Yes, my wife was suitably mortified enough to do this: make signs to hang on the tree to inform local village children not to eat the fruit.

So all is well that ends well there.

Another interesting fact to add to this part of the mix is that he told me that he had recently read a repport that fruit fly are actually capable of flying up to 800 km.. so that pretty much stymies most attempts to fully eradicate them since the major cities of Australia have such huge stocks of fruit fly due to the fact that everybody is too timid to encroach upon city people’s lives with chemical sprays, tree removals and the like.

I added that most of what I do to earn a crust is to make trees for city garden centres which include the traditional types of various Prunus and Malus ornamental flowering but otherwise still fruiting trees. I asked what he was doing with local shires about the various members of such fruiting ornamentals such as Prunus Malus and Pyriformis species. He told me that there is actually a process in situ whereby the shires cooperate in removal of any such tree that is signed off as approved for removal by the incumbent residents butthat some incumbents refuse.
Not only to allow removal.. but to actually make an effort to clean up the fallen fruit..

Anyway the nub of this is that those who thought I don’t liase with the people I was complaining about last night.. are erroneous in their estimation of me.

I’ve been doing this stuff all my life and have always liased..

just that last night I was demanding explanations on this issue.. and today.. I found Gary’s phone #

I and he realised that yes.. we have often talked face to face about this.

Anyway this should make most people realise that we will never get organic fruit again..

That qweenzland fruit fly is now commonplace in all fruit fly exclusion zones in southern Australia.. and at overpopulation levels in all eastern seaboard cities.
Mediterranean fruit fly is a pest of the west .. of oz..

That such things as frost which originally kept us safe.. are now no longer effective due to the fact that we have gone from 75 consecutive frosts as our record since records have been made(in my area).. to no more than five frosts and none of them could really be called consecutive. Which is one of many points I raised with Gary and he agreed that these things were the case.

He also introduced the fact that people were importing ethnic foods which really have to be imported frozen to avoid them importing more fruit fly species.

We had a bit of discussion about the ethnic issues in regard to things like the Italian food sharing I mentioned above. He agreed too that Ethnic cultures in Australia were a severe problem with being able to do any more than just attempt any method of limitation of risk. He had to agree that if it wasn’t kept cold stored between cold stores.. it had chance of infection in transmit.

so we have it in a nutshell

the MDB is buggered anyway as a fruit exporting region unless all fruit in and out is picked green and cold stored.
well there goes fresh fruit for anyone that wants it..

So why are we wasting water on producing cricket balls that people throw in the bin anyway?

Gary might have been relying on the telepathic nature that wives and husbands possess…. My missus just thought that.

pomolo said:

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

will you contact them to ask about it ?

I rang three times yesterday before 5 pm and was told that this is the Department of Fruit Fly research @ Yanco Ag research station but that no one could take my call. I told them the situation. Three times. I’ve had no response. That they had ppresumably sprayed a tree at my place and that I’d eaten the fruit being unaware due to lack of signage. I say presumably because I found the note later. I didn’t find the ribbon on the tree nor was it stated on the note.. which tree had been sprayed.

Tell Current Affair if no one else will listen.

I think Roughy’s problem is real, not quite suitable for ACA.

pain master said:

pomolo said:

roughbarked said:

I rang three times yesterday before 5 pm and was told that this is the Department of Fruit Fly research @ Yanco Ag research station but that no one could take my call. I told them the situation. Three times. I’ve had no response. That they had ppresumably sprayed a tree at my place and that I’d eaten the fruit being unaware due to lack of signage. I say presumably because I found the note later. I didn’t find the ribbon on the tree nor was it stated on the note.. which tree had been sprayed.

Tell Current Affair if no one else will listen.

I think Roughy’s problem is real, not quite suitable for ACA.

correct it is real and far from fanciful enough to take to ACA

roughbarked said:

pain master said:

pomolo said:

Tell Current Affair if no one else will listen.

I think Roughy’s problem is real, not quite suitable for ACA.

correct it is real and far from fanciful enough to take to ACA

I cartainly never thought it was fanciful. Whether you watch that program or not (and I don’t but MrP does) wrongs are brought into the limelight. It’s one way of being heard.

pomolo said:

roughbarked said:

pain master said:

I think Roughy’s problem is real, not quite suitable for ACA.

correct it is real and far from fanciful enough to take to ACA

I cartainly never thought it was fanciful. Whether you watch that program or not (and I don’t but MrP does) wrongs are brought into the limelight. It’s one way of being heard.

Way too sensationalised for me.

roughbarked said:

pomolo said:

roughbarked said:

correct it is real and far from fanciful enough to take to ACA

I cartainly never thought it was fanciful. Whether you watch that program or not (and I don’t but MrP does) wrongs are brought into the limelight. It’s one way of being heard.

Way too sensationalised for me.

Landline.. for all things flora green, city and rural

Yes I did eventually get onto the actual person who did the work of both spraying the tree and not signposting it. He apologised.. and informed me of the fact that he had found fruit fly larvae in the tree and that this had surprised him since he hadn’t ever recorded fruit fly in that tree beforehand and that the region he covers has fruit fly in all the loquats this year which is the first time ever recorded.
—————————————————————
well at least you found the culprit – not much comfort tho’.

i find it a dangerous precedent – the use of toxic poisons on a compulsory basis has me scared.

pepe said:

Yes I did eventually get onto the actual person who did the work of both spraying the tree and not signposting it. He apologised.. and informed me of the fact that he had found fruit fly larvae in the tree and that this had surprised him since he hadn’t ever recorded fruit fly in that tree beforehand and that the region he covers has fruit fly in all the loquats this year which is the first time ever recorded.
—————————————————————
well at least you found the culprit – not much comfort tho’.

i find it a dangerous precedent – the use of toxic poisons on a compulsory basis has me scared.

especially without prior warning

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

Yes I did eventually get onto the actual person who did the work of both spraying the tree and not signposting it. He apologised.. and informed me of the fact that he had found fruit fly larvae in the tree and that this had surprised him since he hadn’t ever recorded fruit fly in that tree beforehand and that the region he covers has fruit fly in all the loquats this year which is the first time ever recorded.
—————————————————————
well at least you found the culprit – not much comfort tho’.

i find it a dangerous precedent – the use of toxic poisons on a compulsory basis has me scared.

especially without prior warning

I was telling husband about this thread and he said it has been on ACA already. A couple of nights ago apparently. Specifically to do with S/A because the people were enraged by the spraying etc. You can probably check it our RB.

pomolo said:

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

Yes I did eventually get onto the actual person who did the work of both spraying the tree and not signposting it. He apologised.. and informed me of the fact that he had found fruit fly larvae in the tree and that this had surprised him since he hadn’t ever recorded fruit fly in that tree beforehand and that the region he covers has fruit fly in all the loquats this year which is the first time ever recorded.
—————————————————————
well at least you found the culprit – not much comfort tho’.

i find it a dangerous precedent – the use of toxic poisons on a compulsory basis has me scared.

especially without prior warning

I was telling husband about this thread and he said it has been on ACA already. A couple of nights ago apparently. Specifically to do with S/A because the people were enraged by the spraying etc. You can probably check it our RB.

I’m well aware of all the issues. Have lived within a fruit fly exclusion zone all my life.

As I have explained above.. the various departments of agriculture in different states have pretty much now taken the stance that all they can do is contain the outbreaks like wildfires.

roughbarked said:

pomolo said:

bluegreen said:

especially without prior warning

I was telling husband about this thread and he said it has been on ACA already. A couple of nights ago apparently. Specifically to do with S/A because the people were enraged by the spraying etc. You can probably check it our RB.

I’m well aware of all the issues. Have lived within a fruit fly exclusion zone all my life.

As I have explained above.. the various departments of agriculture in different states have pretty much now taken the stance that all they can do is contain the outbreaks like wildfires.

The problems as they put it.. are that levels of fruit flies in Australia’s cities are now at way overpopulation levels and that since it has been revealled that thay are capable of flying up to 800 km then pretty much no fruit growing area is safe and backyard fruit trees are the kind that generally are not sprayed.\\ Nor in general well maintained.

Cool storing all fruit from as soon as it can have any level of sugar is.. recommended.. As I said.. goodbye fresh fruit.

Curses. All set up to start making my traps – I was going to put Josh’s concoction in half and use Eco-naturalure in the other half. Only now I’ve actually read the instructions for the eco-naturalure – it’s not designed for traps :( Supposed to spray it either on to the foliage or on to a one square metre board (although I’ve now read three different suggestions on how big the board should be!).

I’d prefer a board to spraying the foliage, but I doubt I’ve got anything like that lying around…

I might just go with Josh’s traps for now, and if I find I don’t catch any fruit fly, then have another think about the eco-naturalure..

bon008 said:

Curses. All set up to start making my traps – I was going to put Josh’s concoction in half and use Eco-naturalure in the other half. Only now I’ve actually read the instructions for the eco-naturalure – it’s not designed for traps :( Supposed to spray it either on to the foliage or on to a one square metre board (although I’ve now read three different suggestions on how big the board should be!).

I’d prefer a board to spraying the foliage, but I doubt I’ve got anything like that lying around…

I might just go with Josh’s traps for now, and if I find I don’t catch any fruit fly, then have another think about the eco-naturalure..

Just put the eco stuff in a boottle and hang it thus so that FF can go in and not get out.

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

Curses. All set up to start making my traps – I was going to put Josh’s concoction in half and use Eco-naturalure in the other half. Only now I’ve actually read the instructions for the eco-naturalure – it’s not designed for traps :( Supposed to spray it either on to the foliage or on to a one square metre board (although I’ve now read three different suggestions on how big the board should be!).

I’d prefer a board to spraying the foliage, but I doubt I’ve got anything like that lying around…

I might just go with Josh’s traps for now, and if I find I don’t catch any fruit fly, then have another think about the eco-naturalure..

Just put the eco stuff in a boottle and hang it thus so that FF can go in and not get out.

it really is only the same thing

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

Curses. All set up to start making my traps – I was going to put Josh’s concoction in half and use Eco-naturalure in the other half. Only now I’ve actually read the instructions for the eco-naturalure – it’s not designed for traps :( Supposed to spray it either on to the foliage or on to a one square metre board (although I’ve now read three different suggestions on how big the board should be!).

I’d prefer a board to spraying the foliage, but I doubt I’ve got anything like that lying around…

I might just go with Josh’s traps for now, and if I find I don’t catch any fruit fly, then have another think about the eco-naturalure..

Just put the eco stuff in a boottle and hang it thus so that FF can go in and not get out.

it really is only the same thing

Oh, OK – well I’m all done for today, but I’ll remember that for next time I’m filling the traps – thanks RB.

I’ve got them all out now. I finished cleaning up the mess I’d made, and then went out to take photos of the traps in the trees – and there are already fruit fly going into them! So far only the traps in the lemon tree and the fig tree are getting action.

Finally finished my blog post on how my traps turned out:

http://www.threetomatoesshort.com/2010/11/fruit-fly-action-plan.html

Thanks everyone for your excellent advice :)

bon008 said:

Finally finished my blog post on how my traps turned out:

http://www.threetomatoesshort.com/2010/11/fruit-fly-action-plan.html

Thanks everyone for your excellent advice :)

You will note from your photos that these traps attract houseflies and vinegar flies etc., as well. You do need to actually observe fruit flies being trapped as well to make sure.

I’m not sure how well the lime cordial will work as well as straight fresh orange juice or even juice those grapefruit that do get ripe. Lemon juice will work as well. Apricot nectar from the can works well too.

The hygine thing should not be laxed just because youu have traps. Fruit fly bait should also be squirted on trunks and leaves of nearby trees.
Contrary to what Josh said.. Fruit fly larvae don’t need to wait for the fruit to drop. They can bore a hole out of the fruit and drop to the ground while the fruit is still on the tree.

Locally we are told on TV that fruit fly bait is available free of charge to fruit growers.. Though I’m sure that only applies to commercial growers, I’m going to test that theory as soon as I can by rolling up and asking for my free fruit fly bait.

roughbarked said:

You will note from your photos that these traps attract houseflies and vinegar flies etc., as well. You do need to actually observe fruit flies being trapped as well to make sure.

I’m not sure how well the lime cordial will work as well as straight fresh orange juice or even juice those grapefruit that do get ripe. Lemon juice will work as well. Apricot nectar from the can works well too.

The hygine thing should not be laxed just because youu have traps. Fruit fly bait should also be squirted on trunks and leaves of nearby trees.
Contrary to what Josh said.. Fruit fly larvae don’t need to wait for the fruit to drop. They can bore a hole out of the fruit and drop to the ground while the fruit is still on the tree.

Locally we are told on TV that fruit fly bait is available free of charge to fruit growers.. Though I’m sure that only applies to commercial growers, I’m going to test that theory as soon as I can by rolling up and asking for my free fruit fly bait.

Hi RB.

Although a few other things have been caught, the fruit fly were the first. I thought I mentioned that in the post – they showed up immediately. It was another day or so before the other kinds of flies/bugs started getting trapped.

Well, I’m happy with the lime cordial since I saw the fruit fly zip straight over to it. However I may try grapefruit juice when they’re in season, so I can save the lime cordial for its proper purpose (lemon lime & bitters :D ).

As I said, I do already check the fruit on the trees for signs of infection and remove those fruits.

Good luck with your free bait :D

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

You will note from your photos that these traps attract houseflies and vinegar flies etc., as well. You do need to actually observe fruit flies being trapped as well to make sure.

I’m not sure how well the lime cordial will work as well as straight fresh orange juice or even juice those grapefruit that do get ripe. Lemon juice will work as well. Apricot nectar from the can works well too.

The hygine thing should not be laxed just because youu have traps. Fruit fly bait should also be squirted on trunks and leaves of nearby trees.
Contrary to what Josh said.. Fruit fly larvae don’t need to wait for the fruit to drop. They can bore a hole out of the fruit and drop to the ground while the fruit is still on the tree.

Locally we are told on TV that fruit fly bait is available free of charge to fruit growers.. Though I’m sure that only applies to commercial growers, I’m going to test that theory as soon as I can by rolling up and asking for my free fruit fly bait.

Hi RB.

Although a few other things have been caught, the fruit fly were the first. I thought I mentioned that in the post – they showed up immediately. It was another day or so before the other kinds of flies/bugs started getting trapped.

Well, I’m happy with the lime cordial since I saw the fruit fly zip straight over to it. However I may try grapefruit juice when they’re in season, so I can save the lime cordial for its proper purpose (lemon lime & bitters :D ).

As I said, I do already check the fruit on the trees for signs of infection and remove those fruits.

Good luck with your free bait :D

Bon.. your photos did depict fruit fly coming to the bottles but they didn’t depict fruit fly drowned in the bottle.. THat was why I said it.

roughbarked said:

Bon.. your photos did depict fruit fly coming to the bottles but they didn’t depict fruit fly drowned in the bottle.. THat was why I said it.

No worries. It’s hard to see inside the bottles because most of them aren’t clear bottles. I did notice that a lot of the fruit fly went into the bottle and then started hanging around at the top, near the lid – I suppose this is why the instructions are to put the holes half-way down, not near the top.

Careful inspection does show that there are drowned fruit fly in them, but I can’t get it to show up on a photo, unfortunately.

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

Bon.. your photos did depict fruit fly coming to the bottles but they didn’t depict fruit fly drowned in the bottle.. THat was why I said it.

No worries. It’s hard to see inside the bottles because most of them aren’t clear bottles. I did notice that a lot of the fruit fly went into the bottle and then started hanging around at the top, near the lid – I suppose this is why the instructions are to put the holes half-way down, not near the top.

Careful inspection does show that there are drowned fruit fly in them, but I can’t get it to show up on a photo, unfortunately.

No worries then.. It looks like we can add lime cordial to the list but I’d reckon lemon or orange cordial would work better.. ;) The thing to remember is that baited traps only catch the ones that go in.

If you do have fruit fly.. start taking this response.. rather than wait till fruit ripens.. Pick it when it is better for stewing or preserving.. when it is a little under ripe. Once cooked the fruit will be fine to eat. Of course this means that while preparing the fruit for cooking you will toss any that do have visible fruit fly into a bucket with a lid or a bag that is closed and subsequently cook it in full sun for a few days before disposing. Cold storage also kills fruit fly larva that are microscopic. but larger larva .. completely ruin the fruit or at least half of it..

roughbarked said:

No worries then.. It looks like we can add lime cordial to the list but I’d reckon lemon or orange cordial would work better.. ;) The thing to remember is that baited traps only catch the ones that go in.

If you do have fruit fly.. start taking this response.. rather than wait till fruit ripens.. Pick it when it is better for stewing or preserving.. when it is a little under ripe. Once cooked the fruit will be fine to eat. Of course this means that while preparing the fruit for cooking you will toss any that do have visible fruit fly into a bucket with a lid or a bag that is closed and subsequently cook it in full sun for a few days before disposing. Cold storage also kills fruit fly larva that are microscopic. but larger larva .. completely ruin the fruit or at least half of it..

Thanks RB :) Preserving is definitely something I want to get the hang of, particularly as the garden develops.

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

No worries then.. It looks like we can add lime cordial to the list but I’d reckon lemon or orange cordial would work better.. ;) The thing to remember is that baited traps only catch the ones that go in.

If you do have fruit fly.. start taking this response.. rather than wait till fruit ripens.. Pick it when it is better for stewing or preserving.. when it is a little under ripe. Once cooked the fruit will be fine to eat. Of course this means that while preparing the fruit for cooking you will toss any that do have visible fruit fly into a bucket with a lid or a bag that is closed and subsequently cook it in full sun for a few days before disposing. Cold storage also kills fruit fly larva that are microscopic. but larger larva .. completely ruin the fruit or at least half of it..

Thanks RB :) Preserving is definitely something I want to get the hang of, particularly as the garden develops.

I can do this.. juice all my grapefruit and navels and mix the juice or have it separate.. I can freeze citrus juice. Lemons I can make into cordial or again freeze them as ice blocks for summer drinks and cooking attributes. Valencias dry on the shelf to leather skins and make extra marvelous juice if squashed and rolled so that they soften without bursting then poke a hole in them and extract the most wondrous sweet orange juice.
Excess loquats make a similar thing to quince jelly. Only it is loquat.
Apricots make jam and stewed apricot. Also dried apricots and apricot leather.. and so forth as the year rolls on..

Excess navels at the end of teh season should be put in the fridge until you can utilise them. Same with grapefruit and lemons.

Can also glace citrus.

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

No worries then.. It looks like we can add lime cordial to the list but I’d reckon lemon or orange cordial would work better.. ;) The thing to remember is that baited traps only catch the ones that go in.

If you do have fruit fly.. start taking this response.. rather than wait till fruit ripens.. Pick it when it is better for stewing or preserving.. when it is a little under ripe. Once cooked the fruit will be fine to eat. Of course this means that while preparing the fruit for cooking you will toss any that do have visible fruit fly into a bucket with a lid or a bag that is closed and subsequently cook it in full sun for a few days before disposing. Cold storage also kills fruit fly larva that are microscopic. but larger larva .. completely ruin the fruit or at least half of it..

Thanks RB :) Preserving is definitely something I want to get the hang of, particularly as the garden develops.

Well, you have got me caught up in the fruit fly experiment now Bon. I’m so glad you started this thread and also good to read RB’s contribution as well. I am now collecting all containers that will work as a trap. Set the first one up with bits of orange in it. It was one that’s been in the fridge for yonks and past it’s use by. Have just put the bits in the trap bottle with a bit of water. Enough to drown the blighters. Maybe I should add a bit of sugar as well? Anyway it will be my test case and I will pass on any ups or downs, which ever happens.

pomolo said:

Well, you have got me caught up in the fruit fly experiment now Bon. I’m so glad you started this thread and also good to read RB’s contribution as well. I am now collecting all containers that will work as a trap. Set the first one up with bits of orange in it. It was one that’s been in the fridge for yonks and past it’s use by. Have just put the bits in the trap bottle with a bit of water. Enough to drown the blighters. Maybe I should add a bit of sugar as well? Anyway it will be my test case and I will pass on any ups or downs, which ever happens.

Very interested to hear how it goes, pomolo :)

roughbarked said:

Excess navels at the end of teh season should be put in the fridge until you can utilise them. Same with grapefruit and lemons.

you’ve been working hard RB. is it hot out your way yet?

i’m still cleaning the last remnants of tall grass around the fences. i sweated the most i have all year at about 9am this morning. humid and hot for the first time this year.

pepe said:

roughbarked said:

Excess navels at the end of teh season should be put in the fridge until you can utilise them. Same with grapefruit and lemons.

you’ve been working hard RB. is it hot out your way yet?

i’m still cleaning the last remnants of tall grass around the fences. i sweated the most i have all year at about 9am this morning. humid and hot for the first time this year.

I haven’t got around to the long grass much as of yet.. have done some but I’m flat out at the moment work from just after dawn in the nursery to somewhere between midday and four PM each day depending on the day and the job, the rain or the heat.

Then come home to do both garden and housework as well as maintain vehicle and machines in running order for that or the next day.

ie: re long grass.. I mowed so much of it until a bolt fell from the handle and was lost.. more down time. Fixed that but I had enough to do re-mowing what I had mowed before.. So the rest of the long grass is still there..

Backed the ute into a gate in a fence while attempting to reverse through Patersons Curse higher than eye level.. after filling the back of the ute with old rice straw. so there’s more work and money out.

roughbarked said:

pepe said:

roughbarked said:

Excess navels at the end of teh season should be put in the fridge until you can utilise them. Same with grapefruit and lemons.

you’ve been working hard RB. is it hot out your way yet?

i’m still cleaning the last remnants of tall grass around the fences. i sweated the most i have all year at about 9am this morning. humid and hot for the first time this year.

I haven’t got around to the long grass much as of yet.. have done some but I’m flat out at the moment work from just after dawn in the nursery to somewhere between midday and four PM each day depending on the day and the job, the rain or the heat. Then come home to do both garden and housework as well as maintain vehicle and machines in running order for that or the next day. ie: re long grass.. I mowed so much of it until a bolt fell from the handle and was lost.. more down time. Fixed that but I had enough to do re-mowing what I had mowed before.. So the rest of the long grass is still there.. Backed the ute into a gate in a fence while attempting to reverse through Patersons Curse higher than eye level.. after filling the back of the ute with old rice straw. so there’s more work and money out.

yep – that’s hard work.
you forgot to mention the orchard and preserving produce.

the trouble is it all has to be done before the heat of summer and the grass is – like you say – coming up for the second time.

pepe said:

roughbarked said:

pepe said:

you’ve been working hard RB. is it hot out your way yet?

i’m still cleaning the last remnants of tall grass around the fences. i sweated the most i have all year at about 9am this morning. humid and hot for the first time this year.

I haven’t got around to the long grass much as of yet.. have done some but I’m flat out at the moment work from just after dawn in the nursery to somewhere between midday and four PM each day depending on the day and the job, the rain or the heat. Then come home to do both garden and housework as well as maintain vehicle and machines in running order for that or the next day. ie: re long grass.. I mowed so much of it until a bolt fell from the handle and was lost.. more down time. Fixed that but I had enough to do re-mowing what I had mowed before.. So the rest of the long grass is still there.. Backed the ute into a gate in a fence while attempting to reverse through Patersons Curse higher than eye level.. after filling the back of the ute with old rice straw. so there’s more work and money out.

yep – that’s hard work.
you forgot to mention the orchard and preserving produce.

the trouble is it all has to be done before the heat of summer and the grass is – like you say – coming up for the second time.

I’m about to post some images of what I was involved in in the above post. hang in there

roughbarked said:

pepe said:

roughbarked said:

I haven’t got around to the long grass much as of yet.. have done some but I’m flat out at the moment work from just after dawn in the nursery to somewhere between midday and four PM each day depending on the day and the job, the rain or the heat. Then come home to do both garden and housework as well as maintain vehicle and machines in running order for that or the next day. ie: re long grass.. I mowed so much of it until a bolt fell from the handle and was lost.. more down time. Fixed that but I had enough to do re-mowing what I had mowed before.. So the rest of the long grass is still there.. Backed the ute into a gate in a fence while attempting to reverse through Patersons Curse higher than eye level.. after filling the back of the ute with old rice straw. so there’s more work and money out.

yep – that’s hard work.
you forgot to mention the orchard and preserving produce.

the trouble is it all has to be done before the heat of summer and the grass is – like you say – coming up for the second time.

I’m about to post some images of what I was involved in in the above post. hang in there

Oh goody! I’m ready for a look, see.

Here’s my fruit fly update:

http://www.threetomatoesshort.com/2010/11/still-alive-fruit-fly-update.html

I was thinking when the flies have all had time to drown, I might sieve the traps contents through an old rag, so I can get a photo of the lump of insects caught.

bon008 said:

Here’s my fruit fly update:

http://www.threetomatoesshort.com/2010/11/still-alive-fruit-fly-update.html

I was thinking when the flies have all had time to drown, I might sieve the traps contents through an old rag, so I can get a photo of the lump of insects caught.

Delicious ;)

Science projects … oooohhhh!!!

bon008 said:

Here’s my fruit fly update:

http://www.threetomatoesshort.com/2010/11/still-alive-fruit-fly-update.html

I was thinking when the flies have all had time to drown, I might sieve the traps contents through an old rag, so I can get a photo of the lump of insects caught.

I have just returned from checking out my trap and there are quite a number of ff in there. All I used in my trap was pieces of orange flesh and water. Allowed it to ferment a bit and hung it out yesterday. Now I have made 3 more, again with orange flesh plus chopped up nectarine that had gone bad. They will be put into the trees tomorrow. Like Bon I will report as I go.

update.. So far.. despite what the DPI told me.

there is stilll no fruit fly here this year.. so far.

None in their traps .. none in mine

fingers crossed.

roughbarked said:

update.. So far.. despite what the DPI told me.

there is stilll no fruit fly here this year.. so far.

None in their traps .. none in mine

fingers crossed.

Fingers crossed, I hope they stay away. None here, still. I’ve never seen one. I read that specially treated FF were released in Vic in an effort to prevent them reaching the main fruit markets.

roughbarked said:

update.. So far.. despite what the DPI told me.

there is stilll no fruit fly here this year.. so far.

None in their traps .. none in mine

fingers crossed.

they will probably say it is because of the spraying they did.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

update.. So far.. despite what the DPI told me.

there is stilll no fruit fly here this year.. so far.

None in their traps .. none in mine

fingers crossed.

Fingers crossed, I hope they stay away. None here, still. I’ve never seen one. I read that specially treated FF were released in Vic in an effort to prevent them reaching the main fruit markets.

The DPI admitted to me that the sterilised male releases were a failure and were discontinued.
a) they didn’t prevent unsterilised males from arriving and fertilising females.
b) they were largely eaten by wildlife ie: birds and lizards so their effectiveness was reduced.

Thus the program which was expensive, came to a halt.

As to why the flies aren’t hewre yet? If they are pupating in my soil, it would only just be warming up enough. From my records the worst month is Feburary but they were infesting early apricots last season having wintered over in apples and citrus. My early apricot will be ripe and finished by the end of this month.

OK. Forget my fruit fly baits. Had another look today and haven’t caught anything interesting since I last looked. Would you believe that while I stood there checking over the few peaches on the tree, a fruit fly landed on one right in front of me. It’s the first actual fruit fly I have ever seen and I only knew it because I had checked them out on the net. Told D and it looks as though we will be spraying any fruit we want to eventually eat.

What ever made me think that I could fool the fruit fly?

pomolo said:

OK. Forget my fruit fly baits. Had another look today and haven’t caught anything interesting since I last looked. Would you believe that while I stood there checking over the few peaches on the tree, a fruit fly landed on one right in front of me. It’s the first actual fruit fly I have ever seen and I only knew it because I had checked them out on the net. Told D and it looks as though we will be spraying any fruit we want to eventually eat.

What ever made me think that I could fool the fruit fly?

Bluddy FF.

Still no fruit fly in that loquat tree I mentioned way up above.

I’m trialling traps made with the fibres and washings from the orange juicer.

Seems that they attract the same things and do the same job without any additives.

‘Ban backyard fruit trees now’
DANIEL JOHNS
26 Nov, 2010 01:00 AM
FURIOUS local citrus growers have demanded a blanket ban on all backyard soft fruit trees in the district after yet another devastating fruit fly outbreak.

The fruit fly larvae was found by quarantine officers in loquats being sold at Sunday’s Rotary markets in Griffith and has again brought the citrus industry to its knees, blocking it from many overseas markets and set to cost it a fortune in cold treatment.

Riverina Citrus executive officer Scot MacDonald said the time for diplomacy was now over.

“We’re going to go to war – what other option do we have?” Mr MacDonald said.

“We’ve asked the community to support us, we’ve offered free tree removal, we’ve tried to educate people, we’ve floated the idea of removing all soft fruit trees and again we get slapped from pillar to post.

“All that’s left is for us to approach the (primary industries) minister and ask for the removal and prohibition of all host trees in the MIA.”

Under the current voluntary scheme, 500 trees have been removed from local backyards in the past six months.

“It’s just this handful of people that think the rules don’t apply to them,” Mr MacDonald said.

“We’ve got our backs to the wall with the water situation and we’re getting hammered by imports. If people don’t want a citrus industry here then they should keep doing what they’re doing. This selfish bloke who has picked fruit and then taken it to the markets … he’s destroying an industry and destroying jobs.” The offending loquat, which started in a West Griffith backyard, was sent to Orange for DNA testing and was confirmed as fruit fly positive on Wednesday night.

roughbarked said:

‘Ban backyard fruit trees now’
DANIEL JOHNS
26 Nov, 2010 01:00 AM
FURIOUS local citrus growers have demanded a blanket ban on all backyard soft fruit trees in the district after yet another devastating fruit fly outbreak.

…

:(:(

Pretty nasty calling a person an offender because he had fruit fly in his fruit.

roughbarked said:

‘Ban backyard fruit trees now’
DANIEL JOHNS
26 Nov, 2010 01:00 AM
FURIOUS local citrus growers have demanded a blanket ban on all backyard soft fruit trees in the district after yet another devastating fruit fly outbreak.

Oh dear… we’ll all be doomed.

pain master said:

roughbarked said:

‘Ban backyard fruit trees now’
DANIEL JOHNS
26 Nov, 2010 01:00 AM
FURIOUS local citrus growers have demanded a blanket ban on all backyard soft fruit trees in the district after yet another devastating fruit fly outbreak.

Oh dear… we’ll all be doomed.

This plan has been on the books for a while..

and will likely be attempted to introduce as a bill to parliament but is likely to fail.

roughbarked said:

pain master said:

roughbarked said:

‘Ban backyard fruit trees now’
DANIEL JOHNS
26 Nov, 2010 01:00 AM
FURIOUS local citrus growers have demanded a blanket ban on all backyard soft fruit trees in the district after yet another devastating fruit fly outbreak.

Oh dear… we’ll all be doomed.

This plan has been on the books for a while..

and will likely be attempted to introduce as a bill to parliament but is likely to fail.

would be unpopular with the voters

roughbarked said:

pain master said:

roughbarked said:

‘Ban backyard fruit trees now’
DANIEL JOHNS
26 Nov, 2010 01:00 AM
FURIOUS local citrus growers have demanded a blanket ban on all backyard soft fruit trees in the district after yet another devastating fruit fly outbreak.

Oh dear… we’ll all be doomed.

This plan has been on the books for a while..

and will likely be attempted to introduce as a bill to parliament but is likely to fail.

why is it likely to fail?

I have been buying fruit trees for a few years and never once was told or heard about FF. I’d always assumed it was a ‘qld problem’.
What will happen if the bill passes? FF won’t simply go away.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

pain master said:

Oh dear… we’ll all be doomed.

This plan has been on the books for a while..

and will likely be attempted to introduce as a bill to parliament but is likely to fail.

why is it likely to fail?

I have been buying fruit trees for a few years and never once was told or heard about FF. I’d always assumed it was a ‘qld problem’.
What will happen if the bill passes? FF won’t simply go away.

true that FF has resisted all attempts to eradicate it.

Qld is a misnomer. this fly is a problem in all states maybe exempting southern WA

roughbarked said:

‘Ban backyard fruit trees now’
DANIEL JOHNS
26 Nov, 2010 01:00 AM
FURIOUS local citrus growers have demanded a blanket ban on all backyard soft fruit trees in the district after yet another devastating fruit fly outbreak.

The fruit fly larvae was found by quarantine officers in loquats being sold at Sunday’s Rotary markets in Griffith and has again brought the citrus industry to its knees, blocking it from many overseas markets and set to cost it a fortune in cold treatment.

Riverina Citrus executive officer Scot MacDonald said the time for diplomacy was now over.

“We’re going to go to war – what other option do we have?” Mr MacDonald said.

“We’ve asked the community to support us, we’ve offered free tree removal, we’ve tried to educate people, we’ve floated the idea of removing all soft fruit trees and again we get slapped from pillar to post.

“All that’s left is for us to approach the (primary industries) minister and ask for the removal and prohibition of all host trees in the MIA.”

Under the current voluntary scheme, 500 trees have been removed from local backyards in the past six months.

“It’s just this handful of people that think the rules don’t apply to them,” Mr MacDonald said.

“We’ve got our backs to the wall with the water situation and we’re getting hammered by imports. If people don’t want a citrus industry here then they should keep doing what they’re doing. This selfish bloke who has picked fruit and then taken it to the markets … he’s destroying an industry and destroying jobs.” The offending loquat, which started in a West Griffith backyard, was sent to Orange for DNA testing and was confirmed as fruit fly positive on Wednesday night.

That sounds pretty extreme to me.