No new Queensland fruit fly outbreaks or boundary extensions have been declared in the Riverland from 1 to 14 August 2023.
Restrictions remain in place for existing outbreak and suspension areas and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) staff continue to visit properties to inspect yards, apply organic bait and provide residents with information about what they need to do.
PIRSA has recommenced Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) activities, releasing millions of sterile flies across the Riverland on Wednesday 2 August 2023.
PIRSA’s sterile flies are all male, and they’re bred to appeal to the wild female Queensland fruit fly.
When the wild female mates with a SIT fly instead of a wild male, it lessens the next generation of larvae.
PIRSA General Manager of the Fruit Fly Emergency Response Program, Paul Dowsett, said that previous SIT releases had been successful in reducing the severity of previous outbreaks.
“After assessing our data, we selected Murtho and Lindsay Point as the ideal locations to release our sterile flies,” said Mr Dowsett.
“We used a combination of road release and aerial release, and these flies will effectively water down the fruit fly population across the Riverland”
Riverland Fruit Fly Committee chair and local grower Jason Size said that it’s crucial for residents to strip and prune all fruit trees now to combat outbreak conditions.
“It’s imperative that everyone with fruit trees in the Riverland does these two things,” said Mr Size.
“First, strip your fruit trees bare. The summer crop is over, so it’s great hygiene.
“And second, thin and prune your trees to a manageable height. It makes it easier for you to pick and eat your fruit.
“These two actions will help stop fruit flies from seeing your property as a great place to shelter and breed.”
New outbreak areas
- Nil
New extensions to existing outbreak areas
- Barmera
Outbreak area boundary extensions also affect yellow suspension area boundaries. Search your address on the fruit fly interactive outbreak map to see how fruit and vegetable movement restrictions affects you, depending where you live, travel, work or go to school.
Total outbreak breakdown
| Outbreak area | This fortnight | Previous fortnight |
|---|---|---|
| Outbreak areas with no detections for more than 12 weeks | 20 | 17 |
| Outbreak areas with detections during the last 12 weeks | 23 | 26 |
| Total outbreaks | 43 | 43 |
The end date for all outbreaks is 23 December 2023, however this may change if more fruit flies are detected.
The Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) is operating at Lindsay Point and Murtho.
If you're feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to start, contact a Family and Business (FaB) mentor. FaB mentors are local Riverland people who can support you through this challenging time.
Call a Riverland FaB directly:
- Robyn Cain 0411 633 085
- John Chase 0419 848 672
- Brent Fletcher 0439 409 430
For more information about fruit fly, self-baiting or for the most up to date outbreak advice, go to fruitfly.sa.gov.au or call the Fruit Fly Hotline 1300 666 010.
