Field OPS & Areas
– Baiting & bait stations
Baiting and bait stations
An effective fruit fly baiting programme before and during SIT is essential if the SIT programme is to be a success. Wild flies must be controlled – if not, the wild fly population will rapidly ‘run away’. The main objective is to kill female fruit flies before they mate, and therefore to limit reproduction of the adult generation. The main focus should be all known fruit fly host plants, cultivated and wild, as well as all good shade trees in which fruit flies will often be found. Ideally, a baiting contractor should be used for all baiting operations in order to achieve the necessary level of success.
“Attract & kill” bait stations are also a very useful and practical means of reducing populations in home gardens and other hotspots. They comprise a protein attractant and insecticide. The fruit flies feed on the bait and die soon afterwards.
Bait Recipes
The bait of choice is GF-120 due to its high efficacy as a fruit fly bait, and its very favourable ecological profile. It is registered for application by ground or air. However, a mixture of malathion and protein hydrolysate can also be used as a ground application.
The bait recipes below are registered for ground-based application on deciduous fruit and table grapes.
Bait Recipe #1
(GF-120, based on Spinosad 0.24 g/L): | |
GF-120 NF: | 1.0 – 1.2 litres, plus: |
Citrus and deciduous fruit: | |
Water: | 19 – 29 litres |
Application rate: | 20 – 30 litres/ha |
Table grapes and other crops: | |
Water: | 9 – 30 litres |
Application rate: | 10 – 30 litres/ha |
Home gardens: | |
Water: | 9 – 10 litres |
Application rate: | 2 – 3 litres/garden |
NB: GF-120 should only be applied with special equipment – consult an advisor. The same equipment can be used for both GF-120 and protein hydrolysate baits.
Bait Recipe #2
(mercaptothion and protein): | |
Mercaptothion 50% EC: | 500 ml |
Protein hydrolysate: | 2 litres |
Water: | 100 litres |
Application rate: | 50 – 75 litres/ha |
(= 125 – 187,5 ml mercaptothion a.i./ha) |
Note that mercaptothion has been “red-flagged” internationally, and may not be permissible on export fruit in the foreseeable future.
Ground-based application
By following the recommendations below the bait will be applied in such a manner that it is attractive to fruit flies, remains active for as long as possible, is likely to be found by fruit flies soon after their emergence, and will attract and kill fruit flies throughout the year:
Bait application sites
Adult fruit flies will congregate on host plants and trees/bushes offering good shelter. Gardens and backyards (in towns and on farms) are the main breeding grounds of fruit flies, and are without doubt the major source of fruit flies in and around commercial orchards. If fruit fly populations are effectively controlled in these areas, fruit fly levels in commercial plantings will decrease significantly.
Apply to all host plants and trees/shrubs with good leaf coverage that provide good shelter to fruit flies, especially in gardens and backyards, over the entire SIT area; the larger the area treated, the greater the efficacy.
Apply to commercial plantings according to registered recommendations – consult the bait distributor or FruitFly Africa.