Fruit flies

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Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, www.insectimages.org
Is this a Minor Pest?
Yes
Minor Pest Title

Fruit flies

Minor Pest Description

Two species of fruit flies (Bactrocera dorsalis and Ceratitis capitata) attack Cocoa in Kenya.

Infected fruit on the ground will act as reservoir for re-infestation. If infested fruit reaches the market then maggot infested fruit will be discarded, so allowing emerging adults access to new crop areas. When detected, it is important to gather all fallen and infected host fruits, and destroy them

Minor Pest What to do.
  • One of the most effective control techniques against fruit flies in general is to wrap fruit, either in newspaper, a paper bag, or in the case of long/thin fruits, a polythene sleeve. This is a simple physical barrier to oviposition but it has to be applied well before the fruit is attacked.
  • Practise orchard sanitation.
  • Practise monitoring.
  • Apply baits (see more under Fruit fly site).
    Minor Pest Position
    1
    Minor Pest Firstcontent
    145
    Pest Type
    insect
    Other Crops
    Guava
    Host Plants
    Cocoa