PIRSA have declared a fruit fly outbreak in Adelaide's northern suburbs, after Queensland fruit flies were found in surveillance traps.
Regular surveillance activities in Salisbury North uncovered six fruit flies after PIRSA staff began visiting households to apply organic bait to foliage and conduct fruit checking for signs of fruit fly including maggots.
PIRSA urged residents in the affected area to follow quarantine requirements, which included keeping fresh fruit and vegetables on their properties.
PIRSA Plant and Invasive Species Biosecurity director Nick Secomb was confident proven control methods would lead to a successful eradication, but it was vitally important the community followed all quarantine restrictions.
"Anyone moving fruit can potentially spread this pest, so it is critical that people within the 1.5 kilometre outbreak area follow our advice and do not move any fresh fruit or fruiting vegetables from their properties - including giving it away to family, neighbours and selling it online," Mr Secomb said.
"Ripe fruit in gardens is a host for fruit fly and the perfect place they look for to lay their maggots, so now is the time to check any fruit on your trees - including stone fruit - for bruising or maggots, and report anything unusual."
Mr Secomb also said cooler autumn weather could slow Queensland fruit fly activity but not stop it entirely.
"This is because fruit fly, either adults, eggs, and larvae in fruit, or pupae in the ground, have an 'overwintering' practice where they slow their life cycle during cooler weather and accelerate it as the weather warms back up," he said.
"It's important to make sure your garden is tidy, pick up any fallen fruit off the ground and remove any unwanted fruit from your trees and place it in your green bin, to help break the fruit fly life cycle.
"Our proven controls to this outbreak area include PIRSA teams applying organic bait and checking fruit in the Salisbury North outbreak area, with a view to then include the area in the Sterile Insect Technique program."
Mr Secomb believed there was a strong success rate of eradicating fruit fly and wanted to keep it that way.
"We need residents to follow our advice and help us by giving easy access to their yards," he said.
If no further wild flies or larvae are detected, PIRSA anticipated the quarantine in Salisbury North will be lifted later this year.
Salisbury North and surrounding suburbs are impacted and check the outbreak map at fruitfly.sa.gov.au/outbreak-map to see if you are affected.
