Ms Jaensch Regional Coordinator Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area is reminding everyone to refresh their monitoring traps with the start of spring so you know if Queensland Fruit Flies are active in your garden.

“Queensland Fruit Fly can survive winter so get ready to protect your fruit and vegetables.”

“The flies have used up most of their energy reserves over winter and they need to find some protein in a hurry so they can starting mating and laying eggs again.”

“We usually see a spring spike in the number of flies in regional monitoring traps around mid-September. If we could kill off all these flies before they have a chance to mate and lay eggs then it would make control a lot easier for everyone later in the season,” she said.

Ms Jaensch said there is still plenty of winter fruit around like mandarines, limes, lemons, olives, avocadoes and navel oranges.

“We want to remind everyone who has a fruit tree to make sure fruit is not left to over-ripen on the tree. The longer the fruit is on the tree the greater chance the fruit will be stung. Make smart choices when planning your vegie patch by selecting plants that don’t host fruit fly. You can still enjoy home gardening without the disappointment by growing herbs; leafy greens; root vegetables where the flies won’t lay their eggs,” Ms Jaensch said.

Insect nets are fast becoming a popular control measure for both fruit and vegetables as it provides a physical barrier. If you have apricots or plum trees that usually ripen at Christmas time, an insect net installed at the end of October will help protect your fruit.