Salisbury North declared fruit fly free

Restrictions on moving homegrown fruit from within the Salisbury North outbreak zone have been lifted following successful eradication of fruit fly from the area.

Restrictions have been in place since March last year following the detection of Queensland fruit flies in traps during surveillance work by staff from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (PIRSA).

PIRSA’s Fruit Fly Response included on-ground baiting and hygiene activities, supported by a 12-week aerial release of the sterile insect technique (SIT) program. SIT works by releasing sterile fruit flies that outnumber and mate with wild flies but produce no offspring, effectively breaking the fruit fly life cycle.

The completion of this SIT program in November, together with continued surveillance and an extended period with no detections, enabled Salisbury North to meet the requirements for release.

Residents and businesses in the released parts of the former Salisbury North outbreak zone can now resume normal movement of home-grown host produce, but should remain vigilant by checking fruit regularly, maintaining good garden hygiene and disposing of fruit waste correctly.

PIRSA will continue routine trapping and monitoring in Salisbury North to ensure the area remains fruit fly free.

Although Salisbury North has now been released, some nearby suburbs remain within the Glynde fruit fly outbreak, where movement restrictions on host produce will continue until 20 December 2025, unless further detections extend that date.

As the Glynde outbreak’s 15-kilometre yellow suspension zone overlaps parts of the former Salisbury North outbreak area, residents should check the outbreak map at Fruit fly outbreaks in South Australia to confirm whether their property is still affected and what rules apply.