No further fruit flies discovered despite continued vigilance
Waikato family works to help other people
As another day passed without any new findings of Queensland fruit fly (QFF) in New Zealand, it’s emerged that the science in the hunt relies on a curious piece of sexism – the male of the species hangs around looking for action, while the female gets on with her work.
Last Thursday a dead QFF was found in a trap in Auckland’s New Lynn and it was no surprise to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) scientists that it was male.
The parapheromone traps used in New Zealand are designed to attract male flies because international studies suggest it is very hard to lure females.
The best way to find female QFF is to check fruit where, if they are present, they will be found laying eggs.
‘‘Our whole focus with traps is on the male,’’ MPI deputy director general Andrew Coleman said. ‘‘Pheromone traps have proven very successful internationally. The males cluster, it is almost like they form a gang, they cannot operate alone, they have to cluster.’’
With the traps they find out if there is a population. To find females, they go for the 100 or so fruit that QFF lay eggs in.
‘‘You focus on the eggs and larvae because that is the best way to find females.’’
Science has also found that QFF will settle on a single fruit tree and work their way through that before moving on.
By yesterday afternoon no more males This week Waikato Hospital will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the first operation to take place there. One family share their story about what it’s like to work there together.
For many, work is a place to escape and get a break from your family – but not for the Knights, with four members of their family now working at Waikato Hospital.
Len and Diana Knight started working at the hospital in the 1970s and their two daughters Gemma, 27, and Victoria, 25, recently joined them there.
For Victoria, having dad working just down the hall had its perks.
‘‘Sometimes I go and see Dad and get lunch money,’’ she said.
But differing jobs and shifts mean they don’t get to see each other that often.
While he might have to open his wallet a bit more, Mr Knight said he enjoyed the fact his wife and daughters worked with him.
‘‘There are lots of husbands and wives, and mothers and daughters who work at the hospital. It adds to this ‘village on the hill’ feel,’’ he said.
Mr Knight, 60, is facilities manager, and oversees emergency and security incidents on campus.
He spent 17 years as a duty manager running the hospital after-hours, and has worked his way up from his first job as an attendant in 1974.
His wife, Diana, is an associate charge nurse manager in the hospital’s busy Emergency Department (ED), where she has worked since 1981.
She started her career with the Waikato District Health Board as a hospital aide in 1974, and trained to become a nurse on-site.
Between them they’ve clocked up more than 70 years at Waikato Hospital – so it’s no wonder their daughters turned to a career in the same sector.
‘‘Mum and Dad have worked at Waikato had been found and no sign of eggs, larvae or females from the fruit taken from the 5540 residences in the controlled zone in Auckland.
There was a protein-based lure that could attract QFF, Mr Coleman said, but scientific literature suggested it was not very good.
An Australian Co-operative Research Centres study developed female fruit fly lures to improve pest surveillance technology, saying it would enhance surveillance capability.
The outcome was a finding that female lures were ‘‘not consistently effective’’.
Data suggested that less than 20 per cent of protein-deprived QFF were attracted to a protein lure. Hospital for as long as I can remember, and because of them I’ve always wanted to do something in healthcare,’’ Victoria, who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Radiation Therapy degree from Otago University, said.
‘‘It’s a challenging job, and no two days are the same.’’
Gemma also shared the passion – starting work at the ED, as a registered nurse, in February.
Despite working alongside her mum – who is sometimes her boss – she’s never had an issue.
‘‘We are all just too busy and just get on
Mr Coleman was pinning his faith in existing technologies.
‘‘Internationally, if you keep monitoring both traps and fruits, two weeks on without anything, then you are in a safe place.’’
A large MPI team was at the Avondale markets yesterday, on the edge of the controlled area.
Fruit was found there that had come from the controlled area and MPI officials removed it.
‘‘The good thing is that this is a really important issue and that has been appreciated by every person we dealt with,’’ Mr Coleman said.
‘‘People understand this is a serious matter,’’ he said. with it. I would say half the staff there wouldn’t even know she is my mum.’’
Mrs Knight knew her kids would follow in their footsteps.
‘‘Tori [Victoria], as a little one, wanted to be a pathologist.
‘‘And I always knew Gemma would end up in the medical field. I used to tell her as a child she’d make a great nurse. She’s got a caring attitude and ability to tune into people.’’
Despite almost four decades at Waikato Hospital, Mrs Knight said she still enjoyed going to work.
‘‘I love it. I love it today as much as I did when I first started working here. I’m really proud of Waikato Hospital – there are some amazing people working here.’’
Mr Knight had seen some interesting things in his time – including helping to a catch a bank robber in the hospital corridor.
While a colleague tackled the would-be robber, Mr Knight pushed a wheel chair at him and a kitchen staffer pushed a meal trolley at the fleeing man, who was armed with a knife.
‘‘A few of us sat on him – there was about $10,000 in bank notes all across the floor.’’