Ceduna on track to be fruit fly free

Ceduna is on track on to be declared free of Mediterranean fruit fly as the final stage of the eradication program gets underway.

Up to one million sterile Mediterranean fruit flies (Medflies) will be released each week from specially equipped vehicles in Ceduna in the lead up to the end of the eradication program on 11 November.

Sterile insect technique (SIT) involves introducing sterile insects to help control wild insect populations. Produced at the Department of Primary Industries and Region’s (PIRSA) National SIT Facility in Port Augusta, the male Medfly pupae are sterilised using X-ray irradiation before being sent to Ceduna where they are grown into flies and released.

The sterile flies are safe for people, animals, and the environment, and because they cannot breed, they will not cause a new outbreak. Before they leave the National SIT facility, the flies are coated with a fluorescent dye that glows under a blue light. This dye marker identifies fruit flies that are caught in traps within outbreak areas as wild or sterile.

The Medfly outbreak in Ceduna was first detected on 25 February 2025 through traps that are routinely monitored. As a result of the eradication program, no further detections have occurred since April.

South Australia has a strong track record, with a 100% success rate in eradicating Medfly outbreaks, including previous efforts in Ceduna and Thevenard in 2018–19.

Residents are encouraged to maintain good garden hygiene by removing fallen or damaged fruit and keeping good care of backyard trees.

If you suspect fruit fly, call the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010 or visit fruitfly.sa.gov.au/sit.