Microwave your fruit fly infected fruit

At the Macleod Organic Community Garden we have been experimenting with destroying fruit fly by microwaving bowls of infected fruit for 10 minutes on high. Soft patches or sting marks on the skin indicate the presence of fruit fly but if in doubt, cut the fruit open, remove the pip and examine the area where the stone was. You will see small larvae that look like small maggots if the fruit fly has infested the fruit. Microwaving has proved very effective. The fruit can then be composted.

We feel an obligation to the Macleod community to destroy all fruit fly. Our peaches in particular are 95% affected but we will be examining all fruit once it ripens especially stone fruit, tomatoes and fejoas. Next year we hope to place exclusion nets in winter around all susceptible fruit trees.

Written by Jen Willis