Monitoring and mass trapping of cherry fruit flies (Rhagoletis cerasi and R. cingulata) in organic orchards (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)

Summary

Monitoring with traps helps to detect the proper timing for mass trapping of flies, which can reduce their populations.
Practical recommendation
• Yellow sticky traps (Picture 1) can be used to monitor the presence of flies by hanging them just before the period of adults’ flight and also determine the best timing for deploying mass traps.
• Hang the traps for mass trapping in the orchard when the first individuals are found on sticky traps.
• Homemade traps can be prepared by making 3-4 holes in the upper part of plastic bottles and filling them with a 4% solution of ammonium-phosphate fertiliser to ½ - ¾ of the bottle height (the liquid level below the holes). A wire hook can be made through the cap (Picture 2), or a special cap containing a hook for hanging on the tree can be used (Picture 3).
• Deploy 80-100 traps per ha of orchard to achieve sufficient control, preferably on a height of 3-4 m.
• Commercial traps are available (Picture 4). R. cerasi was caught with these traps with an attractant designed for the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) with good results.