Useful Home Garden Fly Control Idea By Trying Out a Fly Bait

Commercial baits are usually formulated as granules which can be handled easily.Baits may be prepared by the user by mixing an insecticide with molasses, sugar, beer or other attractive substances. However, such mixtures may be hazardous for the user to prepare and  their effectiveness may be erratic.

Baiting is a control method that you can use to help reduce adult fruit fly numbers in your home garden. Bait sprays consist of a liquid food (protein) attractant and an insecticide. Baits are generally sprayed on to the foliage and trunks of trees and plants. Both the male and female adult flies are attracted to the baits while foraging over the leaves for food and are poisoned after feeding on the spray droplets.

• Baiting controls both the female and male adult fruit fly
• Only small amounts of chemical (insecticide) are used through baiting
• Baits are generally not attractive or harmful to beneficial insects that may be natural enemies of fruit flies
• Organic baits have low risk to human health
• No withholding periods as baits are not applied directly to fruit

Baiting to control fruit flies will be right for you if you:

• live in relative isolation in an area with low fruit fly pressure
• are willing and able to diligently apply bait sprays in the garden
• grow large quantities of crops or heavy bearing fruit trees (where exclusion may not be an option)
• tolerate some fruit fly damage to your crops
• want to use a  low impact control method, with the option of using organic products
• are alright with the idea of using a cover spray if baiting does not give adequate fruit fly control
• keep foraging poultry in your home garden

• Timing of the first bait treatment you apply
• Effectiveness of the bait spray product that you choose to use
• Proximity of your garden to nearby sources of fruit flies
• Amount of fruit fly pest pressure in your area
• Regularity of treatments and fruit fly pressure
• Practicing baiting in combination with other fly control methods such as sanitation
• Proper application of bait sprays on to plant foliage and tree trunks
• Need trapping to see if baiting effective, if not noticeably reduce fly numbers, then need to cover spray

The time to start your baiting program may vary depending on the product you use. But generally, you should start baiting before:

• the adult fruit flies become active (i.e. when the first adult flies have been detected or found in traps)
• five to six weeks before fruit ripens, and sometimes even before the plant flowering stage (that occurs before fruit formation)

Go to main page Fly Control Auckland for more ideas and assistance