Riverland residents get free fruit tree removal to help control fruit fly

The South Australian government and a council in Riverland will target backyard fruit trees to stop the spread of fruit fly in a new pilot scheme.

Key Points:Waikerie residents can have their backyard fruit trees removed for freeCitrus SA has advocated for the removal of backyard trees amid 14 pest outbreaks in the areaAs the weather warms , this is a critical time to control fruit fly before they start breeding in the spring

This comes as 14 outbreaks are currently wreaking havoc on the region's horticulture industry.

As part of the pilot program which will be rolled out in the coming months, Waikerie residents will have the opportunity to remove their garden fruit trees, free of charge.

Citrus SA previously called for the removal of private fruit trees following the detection of fruit flies in Riverland backyards.

" We're not going to say people have to have their trees taken down," Loxton Waikerie Mayor Leon Stasinowsky said.

"Some people have trees they have inherited or don't really want, so that's one way to help that and remove a fruit fly host."

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA) has set up fruit fly traps in the backyards of Riverland to stop the spread of the pest. (ABC Riverland: Anita Ward)

Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said around 300 landowners would be invited to participate in the scheme, which would enable the council to collect unwanted trees, transport them to its waste area and to turn them into wood chips.

"If there is good participation and the results show that it has been effective, we will see how we can expand it" , she said.

< p class="_1HzXw">Ms. Scriven also announced that residents of Riverla nd would now be allowed to freely move fruits and vegetables purchased from local retailers in the area provi they were stored securely and residents had an itemized receipt.

"It is important Note that barnyard fruit in red outbreak areas should always be kept at home and not moved or shared,” she says. ="group" data-print="inline-media" aria-labelledby="101357230" data-component="Figure" data-uri= "coremedia://imageproxy/101357230">PIRSA staff are on the lookout for the fruit fly.(ABC News: Mahalia Carter)Battle in the Garden

Entomologist Andrew Jessup says residents could help reduce the risk of fruit flies in the home by monitoring hot spots.

"Especially lemon trees and other evergreen trees with heavy canopy close to the house, which are heated in winter, are ...