THE skies above metropolitan Adelaide will be filled with up to 20 million sterile fruit flies per week, as the state government ramps up its spring campaign against the pest.
More than 600 million sterile fruit flies have been released during the extensive eradication program to-date, with over 160,000 homes in the outbreak and suspension areas in Adelaide.
Primary Industries Minister David Basham said sterile flies were being released from a low flying plane each week between now and the end of the year.
"Sterile male fruit flies seek out female fruit flies in outbreak areas, mating with them so they can't reproduce and therefore breaking the life cycle," he said.
"As well as from a plane, our biosecurity officers are releasing up to 6m sterile fruit flies in Adelaide each week on the ground.
"We expect fruit flies in the 18 outbreak areas across SA to become active again as the weather warms up and the state government has been working closely with industry to prepare for our biggest fight against fruit fly.
"The state government is using every available weapon in our fight against fruit fly and Sterile Insect Technology plays a key role in our eradication program.
"Fruit fly could have a devastating impact on our $1.3-billion horticulture sector vulnerable to the pest which is why we have spent almost $40m to date to protect the hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs in the industry across the state.
"Overwhelming the wild population with our sterile flies will stop them breeding - and now is the time, before the weather really warms up and the flies become more active."
Mr Basham said more than 400 staff had been baiting and trapping within the fruit fly outbreak areas across the state during these cooler months, and working with residents to remove fallen fruit and picking ripe fruit from trees to reduce the numbers of flies and the quantity of fresh produce available to them.
"Fruit flies lay their eggs in fruit, the eggs grow into maggots that make the fruit rotten and when it falls to the ground the maggots dig into the soil to finish their life cycle, becoming flies that emerge from the ground to breed again," he said.
"Enjoying delicious homegrown fruit and vegetables without maggots, and without the need for extra pesticides in your own garden, is something we cannot take for granted in SA.
"Protecting SA against fruit fly starts in your garden - don't share and move fruit if you're in a red outbreak area, pick ripe fruit off your trees, collect fallen fruit off the ground and put it in the green bin, check for maggots and if you see something suspicious call the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010."
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