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Queensland fruit fly eradication
3 DPIRD has been working since March to eradicate Australia’s worst fruit pest following the detection of five male Qfly in the Perth suburb of Dalkeith.
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Stepping up efforts for
Queensland fruit fly eradication
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is stepping up its Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) eradication program, with a range of measures being implemented to strengthen eradication activities.
Baiting and trapping activities not used in recent Qfly responses in WA have been central to the expansive and integrated program. This is aimed at maximising the opportunity for eradication in the shortest timeframe possible. DPIRD has been working since March to eradicate Australia’s worst fruit pest following the detection of five male Qfly in the Perth suburb of Dalkeith. The approximately 1,100 hectare Quarantine Area (QA) declared in early April was expanded in July, increasing the QA to about 2050 hectares and about 15,000 individual premises. The QA was increased due to detections close to its border. The QA now includes all or parts of the Perth suburbs of Dalkeith, Claremont, Nedlands, Crawley, Mount Claremont, Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove and Shenton Park. The expanded QA will enable surveillance and baiting activities, fruit management and movement requirements to be introduced over a larger area to prevent spread and ensure eradication. DPIRD Chief Plant Biosecurity Officer Sonya Broughton said Western Australia was now facing its largest Qfly outbreak since WA’s very first Qfly incursion in 1989. “DPIRD is committing significant resources to this response, including close to 200 personnel (as of August 2020) to manage eradication activities, to carry out baiting, trapping and surveillance, and to staff a dedicated call centre to facilitate property access,” Dr Broughton said.
3 DPIRD has developed an expansive and integrated eradication program incorporating a number of initiatives, many of which have not been used in recent Qfly responses.
“At the start of the program, eradication “Additionally, for everyone within the activities were focused only on Quarantine Area, Qfly would severely premises close to points of detection, impact home-grown fruit and fruiting which has since grown to some vegetables. 5000 premises. The program is now changing focus, to target the nearly 15,000 premises within the recently expanded Quarantine Area to deliver an array of initiatives.” “If Qfly were to become established in WA, we would be the only Australian state to have populations of both Qfly and Mediterranean fruit fly, which is already endemic throughout the state.” Dr Broughton said this was a mammoth undertaking, the biggest since the DPIRD’s eradication program at 1989 Qfly eradication program, a glance and is heavily reliant on community support for DPIRD is DPIRD has developed an expansive and integrated ongoing property visits and ensuring compliance with the QA requirements. “It is an enormous challenge to generate this committing significant resources to this response, including close to 200 personnel. eradication program incorporating a number of initiatives, many of which have not been used in recent Qfly responses. support in eight suburbs The goal is to prevent spread across six local government by prohibiting the movement areas, but DPIRD is committed to of host fruit without treatment, and pursuing every possible option to prevent the laying of eggs and pupation protect our horticulture industries by through the regular removal of ripe and eradicating this serious pest from WA,” ripening host fruit. she said. Other initiatives are aimed at reducing Dr Broughton said Qfly was the most the Qfly population to a level where the important economic pest of the opportunity for breeding is minimised, Australian horticultural industries. and eventually eliminated. “A DPIRD cost benefit analysis has shown that loss of area freedom from Qfly will cost WA $38 million per year. If eradication is not successful, WA may lose access to national and international markets, such as the Quarantine Area Notice A Quarantine Area Notice (QAN) came into effect on 3 April 2020, which applied to the Perth suburbs of Dalkeith, Claremont and Nedlands. exports of avocados to Japan.
The new QAN came into effect on To counter the reduced baiting capacity, 10 July 2020, expanding the QA an intensive baiting program will requirements to Mount Claremont, commence in early September (read on Shenton Park, Cottesloe, Peppermint for more). Grove and Crawley. Surveillance The QAN stipulates that Qfly host fruit must not be taken out of the QA unless treated, that ripe and ripening host fruit must be removed from plants and picked up from the ground every three days, and that host fruit must be either eaten, or treated and bagged In addition to baiting, property visits are required to inspect host fruit for possible Qfly damage, collect samples to determine if they contain Qfly larvae and to inspection of any Qfly lure traps that are present. before being put into general waste As part of its surveillance program, bins (not into the green waste bin or DPIRD has also introduced the use of compost bins). intelligence teams to investigate host Treatment includes cooking, freezing for 24 hours, or solarising in a sealed, heavyduty black plastic bag by spot areas with the aim of locating any breeding populations of Qfly. Surveillance has also provided DPIRD the opportunity to ensure that QAN requirements are being complied with. placing in direct sunlight on a hard surface for a minimum of Trapping seven days. Qfly was first detected in March 2020 in DPIRD’s permanent grid of A decision was taken early in the about 3000 Lynfield Qfly lure traps, eradication program to issue Pest which are located throughout the Control Notices (PCN) if property Perth metropolitan area, Bunbury/ access was not granted Busselton, Gingin, Manjimup, and to confirm compliance in the Ord River Irrigation Area with the QAN. The PCN at Kununurra. Following requires that all fruit, regardless of ripeness, be removed from plants on the property and, if not Qfly host fruit must not be taken out of the QA unless treated. detection, supplementary traps continue to be installed around each Qfly detection to better complied with, will result in determine numbers and remedial action by DPIRD. spread. As of August 2020, Baiting there were more than 1700 Lynfield traps within the QA. Since March 2020, DPIRD has been regularly visiting premises close to the detection points, known as the Outbreak Zone (encompassing close to 5000 premises), to apply insecticide bait to host trees. The bait used is a registered organic insecticide called Naturalure ® . A small amount is applied to the trunk or foliage of Qfly host trees To enhance eradication activities, DPIRD commenced mass trapping (50 traps per hectare) using BioLure traps in ‘hotspot’ areas within the Outbreak Zone. These traps are a supplementary measure that attract and kill both male and female Qfly, whereas Lynfield lure traps only attract male Qfly. or shade trees (where no host trees are present) as a spot, and Qfly die on ingestion. Street trees within these areas have also been regularly baited. Amulet ® Cue-Lure fruit fly stations (Male Annihilation Technique — MIT) While the intention was to bait these properties at least weekly, baiting has been delayed by rain, COVID-19 Pandemic considerations, and capacity to schedule property visits to an ever-growing number of properties in the Outbreak Zone (which continues to increase in response to increased detections). DPIRD has started deploying Amulet ® Cue-Lure (ACL) fruit fly stations on all properties within the QA. These lures are cardboard wafers, which attract and kill male Qfly, reducing numbers to such a low level that successful mating does not occur. The ACL are impregnated with the parapheromone Cue-Lure and a minute amount of fipronil, a broadspectrum nonsystemic insecticide. MIT is not a stand-alone technique, which means it must be carried out in conjunction with baiting and trapping.
Spring baiting program
An intensive baiting program will commence in early September 2020. Three areas will be targeted within the QA — the Double Baiting Area, the Extended Area and the Remaining Area.
Double Baiting Qfly response personnel will need to access properties twice per week during this two-week period (four visits in total) to carry out intensive baiting activities, with a return to weekly baiting for 12 weeks thereafter.
Extended Area Qfly response personnel will visit these properties to check whether host plants are present and if any fruit is infested. The properties will be visited once a week for 12 weeks to bait Qfly host and other shady plants.
Remaining Area Response personnel will visit properties in this area once a week for 12 weeks to bait Qfly host and other shady plants. Ongoing street baiting will also be undertaken. On conclusion of the Spring Baiting Program, DPIRD plans to introduce sterile Qfly to the QA, using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), early in 2021.
Community education
An important aspect of the eradication program has been building awareness of the QAN requirements, and building trust with the community to facilitate ongoing property access to carry out eradication activities. This has included dedicated efforts to build relationships with local government, businesses/retailers in the QA, schools and community groups to assist with communications and QAN compliance.
MORE INFORMATION
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