The Tropical Fruit Forum

Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: daisyguy on May 17, 2022, 10:06:22 PM

Title: Bagging Guava in Florida
Post by: daisyguy on May 17, 2022, 10:06:22 PM

Last year my pink guava fruited for the first time, and by the time the fruit matured it was all riddled with maggots. I assume the maggots were Caribbean fruit fly larvae. Can anyone speak to protecting young fruit with organza bags? I've seen mixed opinions on if this works or not, and mixed opinions about exactly how soon the fruit needs to be bagged.

Title: Re: Bagging Guava in Florida
Post by: spaugh on May 17, 2022, 11:40:05 PM

Hello, I bag my peaches and other fruit with very good results. 

This is the product that works best for bagging.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Garden-Plant-Fruit-Cover-Protect-Net-Mesh-Bag-Against-Insect-Bird-Pest-100Ocs/384835909808?pageci=1b6a4608-5842-4298-b1e6-7405a8d1d8b2&redirect=mobile (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Garden-Plant-Fruit-Cover-Protect-Net-Mesh-Bag-Against-Insect-Bird-Pest-100Ocs/384835909808?pageci=1b6a4608-5842-4298-b1e6-7405a8d1d8b2&redirect=mobile)

Title: Re: Bagging Guava in Florida
Post by: Jabba The Hutt on May 18, 2022, 12:10:42 AM

If you like wormy guava don't bag them. If you prefer no worms I'd bag them the second fruit sets. The larvae is fruit fly.

Title: Re: Bagging Guava in Florida
Post by: fruit nerd on May 18, 2022, 06:08:13 AM

 I'm not in florida but I haven't bagged my guava and have had no issues with fruit fly or any other pests for that matter. Maybe I've just been lucky so far. I well definitely looking to buying some fruit protection bags since I lose a lot of fruit (abiu in particular) to flying foxes.

Title: Re: Bagging Guava in Florida
Post by: pineislander on May 18, 2022, 07:50:21 AM

I use the 6x9 inch organza drawstring bags and put them on when fruit is about 1/4 size. I tried to put on bag earlier and it caused fruit to drop. This size works for single fruit if I bag two fruit together it has been too tight and could not remove bag easily. The bags can be washed in machine on delicate and air dried to reuse. I think the fly lays eggs very late in ripening.
Details:
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/fruit/tropical/caribbean_fruit_fly.htm

Title: Re: Bagging Guava in Florida
Post by: Satya on May 20, 2022, 06:11:45 PM

Our winter guava crop has no flies whatsoever, summer crop is infested without bagging. We bag.

Title: Re: Bagging Guava in Florida
Post by: seng on May 20, 2022, 09:21:41 PM

I use newspaper or magazine to wrap the fruits when they are decent size.  I use stapler to seal the fruits; that way, the flies can't see them.  Fruits wrap like that is very nice color.  Example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH4nGLNyWSc