Operations
PEST MONITORING GUIDELINES
Monitoring fruit fly populations, using traps baited with lures, is one of the cornerstones of integrated pest management (IPM). Without a consistent, effective early warning system, how will you know the presence of a pest, the level of infestation and its location on the production unit?
FFA runs an extensive trapping network across many of SA’s fruit producing regions on behalf of growers, as is illustrated in the table below:
Region | Main crops | Hectares monitored | |
Medfly, Cape fly & Bd | FCM | ||
Elgin & Grabouw (incl. Hemel & Aarde) | Pome & Stone fruit | 6 115 | N/A |
Vyeboom | Pome & Stone fruit | 4 024 | N/A |
Lower Orange River | Grapes (Table, Dry, Wine), Citrus | 4 613 | 4 936 |
Hex river valley (incl. De Wet, Brandwacht, Nuy) | Grapes (Table), Citrus | 5 820 | 2 817 |
Langkloof | Apples, Pears | 4 556 | N/A |
Warm Bokkeveld | Pome & Stone fruit | 4 119 | N/A |
Koue Bokkeveld | Pome & Stone fruit | 20 | N/A |
Wolseley | Pome & Stone fruit | 1 607 | N/A |
Tulbagh | Pome & Stone fruit | 1 390 | N/A |
Olifants River | Grapes (Table, Dry, Wine) | 840 | 430 |
Total | 33 104 | 8 183 | |
Grand total | 41 287 |

Trained monitors (“scouts”) inspect baited traps on a weekly basis and report their findings to their area co-ordinators. Trap counts and other sightings are communicated to growers on a regular basis so that swift interventions can be made with regards to pest management.

Figure 1. Ruben de Klerk, monitor in the Langkloof, busy scanning a fruit fly trap.
Baiting
The main objective of baiting is to eliminate female fruit flies before they mate, and therefore to limit reproduction of the adult generation. Baiting should be applied to all known fruit fly host plants, cultivated and wild, as well as all good shade trees in which fruit flies will often be found.
M3 Fruit Fly Bait Station
M3 is a ready-to-use fruit fly bait station for the reduction of fruit fly numbers…
Magnet med
Attract & kill mass trapping system Magnet MED is an insecticide that acts mainly on…
Methyl Eugenol Lure
Contains a para-pheromone designed to attract male Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) and other members…
Fruit Fly Lure (Trimedlure)
Contains a pheromone designed to attract male fruit flies to a monitoring trap.
False Codling Moth Lure
Contains a pheromone lure to attract male False Codling Moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) to a monitoring…
Biolure Fruit Fly Lure
A controlled release attractant for use as a monitoring system with bucket traps (McPhail type…
Please note that there are various agro-chemicals on the market, and FFA does not endorse or promote any of the aforementioned products; it is only mentioned for educational purposes.