| Species of fruit flies in Mauritius There are nine species of fruit flies of economic importance in Mauritius. Fruit flies that occur on fruit trees include the oriental fruit fly,Peach fruit fly, the Natal fruit fly, the Medfly (all of which attack mango, guava, peach, loquat etc.) and the Ber fly (which attacks masson/ jujube only). The melon fly attacks cucurbits such as cucumber, patole, pipengaille, calabash, squash, courgette, chayote, etc. while the tomato fly attacks tomato. The National Fruit Fly Control Programme Within the National Fruit Fly Control Programme (NFFCP), the bait application and male annihilation techniques are used to control fruit flies in backyards in selected localities. Bait sprays attract both male and female fruit flies while MAT blocks attract males only. These techniques are more environment friendly as compared to conventional insecticide cover sprays. The main objective of the NFFCP is to boost up fruit production in backyards, while at the same time improving fruit quality.
A limited amount of free bait is given to fruit tree owners at the different bait distribution sites (See FAQ).
To be effective, all fruit tree owners in a locality should regularly apply bait sprays for fruit fly control. However, bait sprays alone is not enough for fruit fly control. Collection and proper disposal of infested fruits is of utmost importance. This practice will help to bring down the fruit fly population.
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