Fruit f ly controls lifted in suburbs
Fruit and vegetable restrictions have been lifted in two Auckland suburbs after weeks with no further evidence of fruit flies.
On February 14, Biosecurity New Zealand stopped the movement of fruit and vegetables in and out of Devonport after a male Queensland fruit fly was found in a surveillance trap.
Similar restrictions were introduced in O¯ tara after a male facialis fruit fly was found on February 18.
Yesterday, Biosecurity NZ said the decision had been made to lift the restrictions after several weeks of trapping and inspections of hundreds of kilograms of fruit came up empty.
Restrictions in a third suburb, Northcote, will remain in place as a fruit fly was last found there on March 14.
Biosecurity NZ spokeswoman Dr Cath Duthie said no more adult fruit flies, eggs, larvae or pupae had been found in Devonport or O¯ tara and it was satisfied it could lift the ‘‘Controlled Area Notices’’.
‘‘As a precautionary measure, we will be keeping in place an enhanced network of fruit fly traps in Devonport and between Devonport and Northcote, as well as in O¯ tara, for an extended period,’’ she said.
‘‘If fruit flies are present, these traps will detect them.’’
Duthie said teams were still working to rid the area of any remaining fruit flies and that, while the baits were toxic to the flies, they would not affect people or animals, including bees.