Residents in the State’s Riverland region may find staff from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) on their doorstep this month, as PIRSA scales up its fruit fly eradication efforts ahead of spring.
General Manager of the Fruit Fly Response at PIRSA, Nick Secomb said staff would be requesting access to yards to install or check fruit fly traps as part of the Department’s Spring Eradication Plan, which starts today (1 August).
Mr Secomb said the Plan included a new grower self-baiting program, traps on residential properties and higher levels of activity in the highest risk areas.
“Residents in red outbreak areas will start to see more PIRSA staff out and about, requesting access to yards to install or check fruit fly traps,” he said.
“It’s going to take all of us working together – PIRSA, growers, and the community – to get on top of these outbreaks.
“Community will play an integral role in the Spring Eradication Plan – PIRSA can’t do it alone.”
Mr Secomb said that to help the traps and bait have the greatest impact, it was everyone’s job to pick their ripe fruit promptly and collect fallen fruit off the ground to break the fruit fly life cycle.
“It seems like a simple thing, but it really does work to stop the flies from successfully breeding,” he said.
“We ask everyone living in red outbreak areas to give PIRSA staff in orange overalls access to your property so they can quickly do their work – this might be putting up traps in trees, applying organic bait, or checking fruit for signs of fruit fly.”
Further information on red outbreak areas can be accessed on PIRSA’s fruit fly outbreak map at this PS News link.
