Agriculture Victoria state fruit fly co-ordinator Cathy Mansfield said that insect netting was the best way to ensure fruit fly doesn’t attack home gardeners’ fruit and vegetables.
“Now is the time to prepare your netting for the upcoming season,” Ms Mansfield said.
“It’s important to check and mend any holes in the netting with string, fishing line or polyester thread. Another option is to clamp holes with bulldog clips.
“Nets should be applied after the flower petals fall off fruit trees such as apricots, peaches, apples, cherries and loquats.
“When the petals fall off, the nets go on.
“For continuously flowering berries and fruit berries such as tomatoes, eggplants and capsicums, the netting should be applied after most of the flowering has occurred but while fruit is still small.”
Ms Mansfield said draping a large net over small and medium-sized fruit trees can be easy, particularly if you work with a friend, one on either side of the tree.
“A broom can help you push netting over high branches of larger, well-established trees. Make sure you secure the netting tightly to the trunk of the tree or firmly to the ground to prevent fruit fly from entering at the base of the tree,” she said.
“There are commercially produced frames that you can drape your netting over, but there are other DIY options such as bending poly pipe and securing the pipe onto star pickets. This is a favourite option among home gardens as it’s cheap and easy to put together.
“The poly pipe option is particularly good for berry crops and fruiting vegetables.”
Ms Mansfield advised gardeners to build a frame around larger trees to assist with the application of netting.
“A sturdy wooden or metal frame is a good solution for very large trees, however the netting will need to be removable as bees need access to the flowers to ensure pollination,” she said.
“Using insect netting is an environmentally friendly option because it can last for years. It can also prevent other common pests attacking your fruit like coddling moth in apples and tomato grub in tomatoes.
“By protecting your fruit and reducing places for fruit flies to breed you’re helping to protect your neighbours’ fruit and Victoria’s wider horticulture industry.”
For more on managing fruit fly, visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/qff
