Deputy Mayor, Councillor Jim Hickey encouraged people concerned with fruit fly at their property to grab one of the traps and hang it in their yard.
The 250 male annihilation technique (MAT) traps attract and kill the male of the species.
“These traps are a long-term measure for people who want to help make a difference over time, each one lasts for about three months,” Councillor Hickey said.
“Locals will still have to use standard female fruit fly traps to protect their fruit, but ideally we’d like to one of each type of trap in the yards of people with fruit.
“If we can protect fruit from females in the short term while continually killing males over time, hopefully we can get the fruit fly problem to a point where we can look at Government assistance to employ SIT and possibly eradicate fruit fly all together in the city.”
At the council’s monthly meeting last month, Councillor Hickey spoke to correspondence that had been received from the Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Regional NSW and Minister for Western NSW regarding the reintroduction of a Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone around Broken Hill advising:
a) the whole of NSW is currently a “Pest Free Area”;
b) The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (the Department) are no longer funding the management of Queensland Fruit Fly as the pest is endemic, however, as part of the National Fruit Fly Strategy, research around the management (including prevention and eradication) of existing fruit flies continues;
c) Sentinel Medfly Traps will be established in Broken Hill to ensure prompt eradication measures should incursion be detected.
“We tried to get support from the State Government, but they wouldn’t come to the party,” Councillor Hickey said.
“So council have brought 250 male fruit fly traps.”
Councillor Hayley Jewitt said it was disappointing reading the correspondence that there was little support in eradicating fruit fly in NSW.
“It was very contradictory, it’s so bad in Queensland but we’re receiving no support,” she said.
Despite this government outlook, the council and concerned residents are hoping to reduce fruit fly numbers over the coming years, with the possibility of then employing Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) on the area’s weakened fruit fly population.
SIT involves the release of large numbers of sterile male fruit fly to outcompete the fruit fly population and further break down breeding cycles.
Free MAT traps can be picked up from Council’s Administrative Centre, with a limit of one per household.
Silverlea Services also offer a paid fruit fly spraying and baiting service, and can be contacted on 8087 7899 or admin@silverleaservices.org.
