Project Coordinator:
Dr Aruna Manrakhan

Collaborating researchers and technicians involved:
Dr Aruna Manrakhan, Dr Tim Grout, John-Henry Daneel, Peter Stephen,
Rooikie Beck, Marelize de Villiers (SU) and
Dr Pia Addison (SU).

This project primarily covers the fruit flies of the Ceratitis genus. The M3 bait station is registered for use on all fruit tree crops in South Africa and provides the ultimate means of IPM-compatible fruit fly control but means of reducing its cost are under investigation. Improved apparatus (the Mantis and Ladybird) for applying concentrated protein baits now provide superior control of fruit flies but the availability of the baits themselves is limited so new bait formulations are under investigation. Alternative toxicants to organophosphates for use in fruit fly baits are also being investigated. Post-harvest disinfestation techniques continue to receive attention and a longer treatment at a higher temperature was recently submitted to Japan for approval. The threat of Bactrocera invadens is currently being addressed by conducting research with collaborators in Kenya and Benin.