Fruit fly situation – MARCH 2019

During the first two weeks of March 2019, a total of 503 flies were trapped in the 373 traps deployed in the Goulburn Murray Valley (GMV) giving an average of 1.35 flies per trap per week (FTW). There were 246 QFF (0.98 FTW) found in rural trap sites (252 sites) and 155 QFF (1.29 FTW) in urban sites (120 sites). The higher trap capture rates recorded in urban areas, compared with rural areas, are typical for this time of the year but rural trapping rates are now on the increase as QFF move from urban areas, where fruit fly host material is now relatively limited into rural sites where a large volume of fruit fly host material is currently ripening. Urban FTW usually peak in late September and then again over an extended period from mid-December to late January. Rural FTW, on the other hand, tend to peak over the period from mid-March to early May.

To read more of this report by Andrew Jessup, please see the attachment below.