Project Coordinator:
Dr Tim Grout

Collaborating researchers and technicians involved:
Dr Tim Grout, John-Henry Daneel, Peter Stephen,
Bruce Tate, Rooikie Beck and Marelize de Villiers (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 have received attention every year for the last five years. Although cold sterilisation is most commonly used, other techniques have been evaluated and occasionally crops other than citrus are used.