What are the control methods for citrus fruit flies?
The citrus fruit fly is a major pest harming citrus fruit. After the fruit is damaged, it softens, turns yellow, rots and drops. When the infestation is severe, it can cause the orchard to have no harvest at all. It can be seen year-round, with July to October as the peak period of damage, and there is no overwintering phenomenon. The female lays eggs in ripe fruit, and the larvae feed on the flesh. The mature larvae curl their bodies and jump, then fall to the ground to pupate. The pupal stage lasts 6 to 27 days, and after emergence they continue to reproduce their offspring. The peak times of appearance in the orchard are 7 to 10 in the morning and 3 to 5 in the afternoon. At dusk they mate and lay eggs, and during the rest of the time they hide and rest in nearby bamboo groves, dense shaded mixed woods or orchards. Below are some suggestions for the broad community of fruit growers, for their reference.
1. Trap-killing methods
1. Use insect-killing lamps: hang them on shaded trees at the outer edge of the orchard or on supports, 2 m above the ground, 1 per mu, to trap and kill male adults year-round so as to reduce the pest population density.
2. Use yellow sticky boards: taking advantage of the fruit fly's preference for yellow or yellow-green sticky boards, hang them on fruit trees to trap and kill fruit flies, placing one about every 10 m. Replace them about every 2 weeks or when they are covered with insects or the adhesive is no longer sticky. They can trap and kill both female and male flies at the same time.
3. Use sugar bait: punch 4 egg-sized holes in the upper part of a mineral water bottle, put a liquid mixture of sugar water and trichlorfon in the lower layer, 7-9 per mu, hung separately throughout the orchard, and replace the liquid about once every 2 weeks. It can trap and kill both female and male flies at the same time.
2. Chemical killing: from May to October, when fruit fly density increases, spray the whole orchard with deltamethrin or cypermethrin at 1000 times dilution.
Because fruit flies fly long distances and have a wide range of feeding habits, a single control method is not very effective. Integrated control must be carried out, with year-round trapping and killing to reduce the pest population density.