Dealing with Queensland Fruit Fly in November
Published on 14 November 2025
Dealing with Queensland Fruit Fly in November
In November, as temperatures rise, Queensland fruit fly populations become more active, making this is a critical time for preventative actions like netting fruit and vegetables, picking up fallen fruit, and applying protective sprays. If you haven’t already started monitoring, it is critical that it is done immediately along with maintaining hygiene, and implementing controls to get ahead of the infestation and prevent damage to crops.
Key actions for November
- Install netting: Put insect netting over fruit trees, capsicums, chillies, and eggplants after pollination has occurred.
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- Make sure to secure the netting firmly at the base to prevent flies from crawling underneath.
- Repair any holes in the netting.
- Pick up fallen fruit: Remove and dispose of all fallen fruit immediately. This is crucial for preventing the flies from breeding and feeding on them.
- Dispose of fruit correctly:
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- To destroy any larvae, solarize fallen fruit by sealing it in a black plastic bag and leaving it in the sun for at least 7 days.
- You can also microwave it for 5 minutes or freeze it for 24 hours.
- Boil the fruit to kill the larvae and then bury it or compost it in a sealed container.
- Monitor for activity:
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- Set up traps to monitor for the presence of fruit flies.
- Check your fruit for small puncture marks on the skin, which indicate where females have laid their eggs.
- Apply protective sprays: Use sprays like kaolin clay on trees that are too large to net. Spray thoroughly until all fruit is covered.
- Maintain hygiene: Harvest produce as it ripens to avoid leaving it on the plant to be attacked. Keep the area around fruit trees tidy by mowing or raking to make fallen fruit easier to spot.
- Prune trees: Prune fruit trees to a manageable height so that they are easier to net and to make it easier to see and collect any fallen fruit.