DAFF requested people in the area not to remove the fruit fly trapping buckets placed along roadsides, in production areas and other public areas.
“Their presence is essential to the national exotic fruit fly surveillance programme. All provinces producing the host crops of this pest are advised to stay alert and practice the stipulated preventative control measures,” said DAFF spokesperson Makenosi Maroo.
Invader fruit fly occurs in parts of Limpopo, North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape. It has the potential to spread quickly from one area to another and this is a cause of concern to DAFF, given the risk of economic damage it poses to the agriculture sector.
The invader fruit fly causes severe damage to host fruit and vegetables such as mangoes, guavas, citrus, marula, wild figs, peppers, pumpkins, watermelons and tomatoes.
Maroo said it can be controlled by practising effective orchard/field sanitation, chemical control and control of the removal of host material from quarantine (infested) areas to non-quarantine (non-infested) areas.
Farmers and landowners are advised to collect all fallen and rotten fruit or vegetables, burying these 0,5m deep or placing them in black plastic bags, closing the bags and leaving them in the sun.
In terms of chemical control, male annihilation (MAT) blocks and protein bait stations such as M3s or protein bait sprays can be applied.
