As the weather continues to warm up and as summer fruits ripen, Riverland residents are urged to pick, eat or cook fruit from their backyard trees as soon as it’s ready.
Queensland fruit fly found in homegrown apricots have caused the region’s latest fruit fly outbreak in Glossop. This new outbreak overlaps a small part of the existing Monash B outbreak area and also takes in new parts of the Berri township.
All properties within the new 1.5 km red outbreak area will be receiving outbreak quarantine information from PIRSA, detailing what they need to do to prevent fruit fly spread.
PIRSA General Manager of the Fruit Fly Response Nick Secomb said that with fruit flies being very active at this time of year it’s important to not move fresh home-grown fruit from your property if you live in a red fruit fly outbreak area.
"Common backyard fruit trees are highly appealing to fruit fly and most current outbreaks have started from summer stone fruits like apricots, nectarines, plums and peaches," said Mr Secomb.
"If you are in a red outbreak area, as tempting as it is, please keep your fruit and vegetables on your property once picked and don’t share, sell or give them away fresh.
"We all want to get back to sharing our fresh fruit with our neighbours and friends, but until that’s possible a good way to use up excess backyard fruit so that they can be shared is to cook them."
Chair of the Riverland Fruit Fly Committee Jason Size said eradicating fruit fly is a whole of community effort.
"Picking your ripe backyard fruit promptly, collecting fallen fruit and checking fruit for maggots seem basic steps, but they are absolutely key preventative actions," said Mr Size.
Primary producers impacted by current fruit fly outbreaks or flood are encouraged to contact the free Family and Business (FaB) support program – call a Riverland FaB directly: Robyn Cain 0411 633 085; John Chase 0419 848 672; Brent Fletcher 0439 409 430.
For the most up to date outbreak advice and other information visit fruitfly.sa.gov.au or call the Fruit Fly Hotline 1300 666 010.