No new Queensland fruit fly outbreaks or extensions were declared in the Riverland in the last fortnight, and the total number of outbreaks remains 51.
Of the Riverland outbreak areas, 21 have not recorded any detections in the last 12 weeks, and some have recorded no detections for more than a year.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) Fruit Fly Emergency Response Incident Controller, Jason Size, encouraged Riverlanders to start their winter pruning activities.
He said that everyone has the power to reduce fruit fly numbers in the coming spring and summer by pruning their fruit-bearing trees and plants.
"Now is the time to dust off your secateurs and prune any trees on your block, including seasonal citrus and other fruits," Mr Size said.
"If fruit trees become overloaded and too high to pick in spring and summer, fruit fly will love your garden because it makes an easy breeding ground – and an excellent source of food and shelter."
Mr Size explained that pruning will instantly reduce the amount of fallen infected fruit that could accumulate on the ground, which enables larvae to bury beneath the soil and grow into future generations of fruit fly.
"If fruit trees are beyond head height it's harder to pick your fruit when it's ripe, so it's really important to keep trees to a height you can reach, and only grow what you need," Mr Size said.
"Pruning will make your fruiting trees easier to pick and keep tidy, and also improve the quality of what you grow – so it's crucial to do that now, and you’ll reap the benefits when winter is over."
The final sterile fruit fly (SIT) release for the season will be conducted this week at Renmark. The SIT program will recommence later this year – see Sterile insect technique for more information.
See Prevent fruit fly in your garden to learn more about reducing the risk of outbreaks.
New outbreak areas
- None
New extensions to existing outbreak areas
- None
Outbreak area boundary extensions also affect yellow suspension area boundaries.
Riverland residents and produce growers can search their address on the interactive fruit fly outbreak map to see how fruit and vegetable movement restrictions affect them depending where they live, travel, work or go to school, and learn what they need to do within the 1.5 km red outbreak area and 15 km yellow suspension areas.
See Outbreak restrictions to understand how restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables affects you.
Total outbreak breakdown
| Outbreak area | This fortnight | Previous fortnight |
|---|---|---|
| Outbreak areas with no detections for more than 12 weeks | 21 | 20 |
| Outbreak areas with detections during the last 12 weeks | 30 | 31 |
| TOTAL OUTBREAKS | 51 | 51 |
The end date for all Riverland outbreaks is currently 23 December 2024. The end date for the metro outbreak is currently 7 December 2024. Both dates may change if more fruit flies are detected.
The outbreak end date depends on no fruit flies being detected in red outbreak or yellow suspension areas for at least 12 weeks.
To make sure we meet area freedom requirements, fruit fly eradication activities and restrictions on fruit movement in the Riverland are likely to continue beyond the outbreak end date.
Please see Outbreaks explained for more information.
If you feel overwhelmed about this situation, our Family and Business (FaB) mentors can help. FaB mentors are local Riverlanders who can support you through this challenging time. You can have a free, informal, confidential and independent conversation with them in person or by phone:
- Robyn Cain 0411 633 085
- John Chase 0419 848 672
- Brent Fletcher 0439 409 430.
For more information about fruit fly, self-baiting, or the latest outbreak advice, go to fruitfly.sa.gov.au or call the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010.
