Author Topic: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)  (Read 4200 times)

behlgarden

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My yard has been infected by Fruit Fly in my guavas and its been bad since 3 years ago and this year is no exception.  Every year I see traps installed by County USDA so they can trap and study flies. This year they skipped my guavas for some reason.

I searched online and found very limited lures and traps that actually work. Besides some home remedies, wanted to know what others are doing to control it?

I can facilitate McPhail traps and lures (only available to Govt. otherwise) but would need a larger group to participate. wanted group opinion and thoughts.

if you are already practicing fruit fly control, would love to hear from you your measures and sources of lures and traps so I can get them for my yard.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2018, 03:18:38 PM by behlgarden »

pineislander

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2018, 09:47:45 AM »
I worked at a nursery where the owner made fruit fly traps out of old tonic water bottles (yellow color label), cut the top off and invert into the bottom, add a little grapefruit juice. The flies would get trapped and die, it worked fairly well and was a good excuse to drink more G & T's!

behlgarden

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2018, 10:17:15 AM »
lures of fruit flies are very specific attractants, some fruit flies are attracted to vinegar, while some methyl eugenol, etc. lures are out there but not open to common gardner. I reached out to one of the most renouned manufacturer and they sell to Govts's worldwide. they would only sell me if its a large order.

Cookie Monster

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2018, 11:09:47 AM »
Ca has carib fly now?
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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2018, 12:16:48 PM »
Pitcher plants such as sarracenia and nepenthes are great natural fruit fly traps. We had a problem indoors and after I got some of those, they were substantially lessened.

Depending on how many trees you have and your environment, it might help a fair bit in addition to other methods. That and pitcher plants are neat to have in and of themselves.
Continuing my journey to disprove those who say "You can't grow that in the desert" since 2013.

barath

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2018, 03:10:02 PM »
Ca has carib fly now?

I really hope not.  Behl, what sort of fruit flies are you dealing with?

shinzo

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2018, 03:16:23 PM »
I had just learned from a friend that she makes traps with yeast, sugar and water. Apperently it worked for her protecting her pears and guavas.

behlgarden

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2018, 03:29:23 PM »
Ca has carib fly now?

I really hope not.  Behl, what sort of fruit flies are you dealing with?

mostly guavas are affected and some citrus leaf curl. I cannot ID type of fly.

EvilFruit

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2018, 03:43:13 PM »
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AB12-Wasp-Garden-Fly-Trap-Fruit-Fly-Trap-Durable-Fly-Catcher-Insect-Trap-Insect/302841095575?hash=item4682bc6597:g:ewgAAOSwiqJbb8PL

I use this trap with a cotton ball soaked in methyl eugenol. It works really well in attracting Mediterranean fruit fly (male).
« Last Edit: September 25, 2018, 03:45:33 PM by EvilFruit »
Moh'd

behlgarden

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2018, 03:49:51 PM »
I did exactly that. where did you get methyl eugenol? I bought from Amazon. I soaked cotton ball and wrapped in plastic wrap, then made few holes so the chemical doesnt evaporate. so far I have not seen any fly in there.

EvilFruit

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2018, 04:03:18 PM »
I did exactly that. where did you get methyl eugenol? I bought from Amazon. I soaked cotton ball and wrapped in plastic wrap, then made few holes so the chemical doesnt evaporate. so far I have not seen any fly in there.

You probably have a different species of fruit fly. I bought methyl eugenol from ebay and from the local agricultural supplier and they all worked fine. The smell of methyl eugenol remind me of crushed tulsai/basil leaf.

I believe methyl-eugenol only works with Oriental Fruit Fly and Mediterranean fruit fly, if i remember correctly.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2018, 04:12:19 PM by EvilFruit »
Moh'd

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Moh'd

behlgarden

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2018, 04:16:09 PM »
I did exactly that. where did you get methyl eugenol? I bought from Amazon. I soaked cotton ball and wrapped in plastic wrap, then made few holes so the chemical doesnt evaporate. so far I have not seen any fly in there.

You probably have a different species of fruit fly. I bought methyl eugenol from ebay and from the local agricultural supplier and they all worked fine. The smell of methyl eugenol remind me of crushed tulsai/basil leaf.

I believe methyl-eugenol only works with Oriental Fruit Fly and Mediterranean fruit fly, if i remember correctly.

no, it works on vast breeds of fruit flies.

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #14 on: September 25, 2018, 06:03:54 PM »
I used to work for the AG dept. in the pest prevention program. There are occasional rare individual fruit flies caught in the traps put out, for example back in 1984 my co-worker caught a Queensland fruit fly in San Diego. Every year there are Mexican, Guava, Oriental, Med Flies etc. caught. There are specific lures and trap designs for the melon, med, and oriental fruit fly for example. The Mexican fruit fly is usually caught along with the olive fruit fly and most other harmless diptera (house flies) mostly in the "McPhale" trap which uses the yeast mixture.

Behl, if you suspect you have an "exotic" fly take the larva to your county AG department and they can ID it for you. I doubt that you have an infestation of  exotic  flies because others would be caught in your area where the CDFA places their traps and then there would be a canvassing going on which would require a quarantine of fruit  and trees with fruit being moved in your area.

https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/PDEP/treatment/treatment_maps.html
« Last Edit: September 25, 2018, 06:11:19 PM by marklee »

behlgarden

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #15 on: September 25, 2018, 06:12:51 PM »
I used to work for the AG dept. in the pest prevention program. There are occasional rare individual fruit flies caught in the traps put out, for example back in 1984 my co-worker caught a Queensland fruit fly in San Diego. Every year there are Mexican, Guava, Oriental, Med Flies etc. caught. There are specific lures and trap designs for the melon, med, and oriental fruit fly for example. The Mexican fruit fly is usually caught along with the olive fruit fly and most other harmless diptera (house flies) mostly in the "McPhale" trap which uses the yeast mixture.

Behl, if you suspect you have an "exotic" fly take the larva to your county AG department and they can ID it for you. I doubt that you have an infestation of  exotic  flies because others would be caught in your area where the CDFA places their traps and then there would be a canvassing going on which would require a quarantine of fruit  and trees with fruit being moved in your area.

Thanks Mark, I did just that and I was asked to take closeup picture of larvae and send to them, and they will get back to me with analysis and possible help in providing further traps for their study. They would not give out any lures, which sucks, no one has lures, looks like more gardeners are out of luck on this. One manufacturer was kind to send me few samples of each to try out to see which one works, but refuses to sell.

marklee

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #16 on: September 25, 2018, 06:39:35 PM »
I used to work for the AG dept. in the pest prevention program. There are occasional rare individual fruit flies caught in the traps put out, for example back in 1984 my co-worker caught a Queensland fruit fly in San Diego. Every year there are Mexican, Guava, Oriental, Med Flies etc. caught. There are specific lures and trap designs for the melon, med, and oriental fruit fly for example. The Mexican fruit fly is usually caught along with the olive fruit fly and most other harmless diptera (house flies) mostly in the "McPhale" trap which uses the yeast mixture.

Behl, if you suspect you have an "exotic" fly take the larva to your county AG department and they can ID it for you. I doubt that you have an infestation of  exotic  flies because others would be caught in your area where the CDFA places their traps and then there would be a canvassing going on which would require a quarantine of fruit  and trees with fruit being moved in your area.

Thanks Mark, I did just that and I was asked to take closeup picture of larvae and send to them, and they will get back to me with analysis and possible help in providing further traps for their study. They would not give out any lures, which sucks, no one has lures, looks like more gardeners are out of luck on this. One manufacturer was kind to send me few samples of each to try out to see which one works, but refuses to sell.

Behl, if you did find one of the exotic flies on your property, the state would strip all of your cherimoyas, atemoyas, guavas, mangoes etc. and take them away and dispose of them. Even if they found a fly within a mile of your place and they thought it necessary to strip the fruit they would of everyones trees in that radius.

behlgarden

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #17 on: September 25, 2018, 07:00:03 PM »
hmmm. then I am not doing it I guess. LOL,

they have been putting traps every year and have probably not found any as of yet. and I am sure my entire area gets these traps too.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2018, 07:04:07 PM by behlgarden »

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2018, 07:23:40 PM »
lures are out there but not open to common gardner. I reached out to one of the most renouned manufacturer and they sell to Govts's worldwide. they would only sell me if its a large order.

From what I see the link I posted earlier sells small orders to anybody.

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #19 on: September 25, 2018, 08:35:44 PM »
My place is filled with Oriental fruit fly which causes havoc on guava, sapodilla,water apples,etc.Baiting them with methyl eugenol will only attract tonnes of them.For home gardeners it's best to wrap the fruits.it works 100percent and the materials used differs for each trees.For guava and water apple a plastic bag would do just fine.For sapodilla well not sure as wrapping with plastic bags seems to damage the fruit

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #20 on: October 03, 2018, 05:10:24 PM »
Does fruit flies disappear when it gets cold? for the last two weeks we had a cold spell, and since then i didn't find any larvae or worm in my guavas even though i am leaving them in the tree till the yellow stage.

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #21 on: October 03, 2018, 05:48:30 PM »
I used to work for the AG dept. in the pest prevention program. There are occasional rare individual fruit flies caught in the traps put out, for example back in 1984 my co-worker caught a Queensland fruit fly in San Diego.


You reeeeeeeeeaaaally don’t want them! I wouldn’t get a single guava/peach/any other soft fruit without bagging.

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #22 on: October 03, 2018, 08:27:10 PM »
You do realize that - generally speaking - traps are NOT for control, just for monitoring the population?  Traps generally don't do a ton for control, but do make you feel better.  Kind of like how roach sprays don't do much for population control, but make you feel better.  If you do use traps, place them AWAY from your trees, not on them.
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behlgarden

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Re: Fruit Fly Traps and Lures for Control (Guava, Citrus, and other fruits)
« Reply #23 on: October 04, 2018, 05:09:29 PM »
You do realize that - generally speaking - traps are NOT for control, just for monitoring the population?  Traps generally don't do a ton for control, but do make you feel better.  Kind of like how roach sprays don't do much for population control, but make you feel better.  If you do use traps, place them AWAY from your trees, not on them.

I do but also understand that if you have traps out there, it will attract male and prevent mating, hence no laying of eggs. Its trying to do something before they become active and destroy fruits.  Everywhere I read traps are suppose to be put on trees where fly goes and ends up getting attracted to the lures.