Yarra Ranges Council is asking residents to be on the lookout for the Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF) in coming months and help prevent its spread, after a detection of the pest in Silvan this month.
The Queensland Fruit Fly lays eggs in fruit and vegetables causing them to rot inside. The eggs mature into larvae, making the produce inedible and unsaleable.
In a statement released by council it was said that the community can help prevent the spread of the fruit fly by pruning trees to a manageable size, picking fruit before it falls from the tree, installing and monitoring fruit fly traps and applying fruit fly bait on trees and leaves if you’ve had a detection in your area.
Infested fruit and vegetables can also be microwaved to kill maggots, or frozen for two days to kill off maggots and larvae before they are disposed of.
The statement says it is important infested fruit is destroyed, so that fly larvae don’t develop into adults and spread across the valley.
The unwelcomed pest has previously been detected in the Yarra Valley in February 2018 and January 2019, with the most recent detection occurring in Silvan in March 2020.
Containment and eradication treatments were put in place by private landowners following each detection.
Residents in the immediate surround area of Silvan are being notified and provided with information on how to prevent the pest spreading.
Council and Agribusiness Yarra Valley will work with the landowners to contain and eradicate any QFF.
More information can be found on the Yarra Ranges Council website https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Council/Latest-news/Queensland-Fruit-Fly-detected-in-Silvan.
If you suspect you have a QFF issue please call Bronwyn Koll on 0490381999 or send an email to qff@agribusiness-yarravalley.com for support and assistance with additional trapping.
