Did You Know - Fruit Fly

Published on 02 October 2026

Spring is here and that means we have to get started on the annual process of dealing with Queensland fruit fly.  When the first fruits start to form, that means it is the time to make sure your fruit fly management practices are up to date.  Preparing for the Queensland fruit fly will protect your garden produce, and also help the gardens of your neighbouring properties.

The primary measures of fruit fly management during the early spring time include: monitoring traps to identify when adult flies are first active, and control measures - such as protein bait sprays and traps.

In early spring, female flies become active and look for a source of protein so that they can produce their eggs, which they lay in the maturing or ripening fruit of a suitable host plant.

By mid to late spring, depending on your location's climate, the first eggs may have been laid in ripening fruit where the larvae will quickly develop.

There are a range of control methods and products available to control fruit flies and to protect fruit from damage.  The most effective way to protect your produce is to cover fruit and vegetable plants with fine-weave insect-proof netting once fruits start developing, as this will to stop female fruit flies from laying eggs inside your fruits and vegetables.

To reduce the risk of attracting Queensland fruit fly to your garden:

• Keep your garden free from unwanted, fallen and rotten fruit to remove potential breeding spots.
• Pick and use fruit or vegetables as they ripen or harvest the produce early if it will ripen after it is picked.
• Choose dwarf varieties of fruit trees which are easier to cover with netting and to inspect for damage.
• Reduce the size your trees so they don't produce more fruit than you need.
• Remove any unwanted or neglected host trees and replace them with early-maturing host plants or non-host alternative plants such as local wattles or grevilleas.

For more information on controlling Queensland fruit fly in your garden, visit the Agriculture Victoria website.