Fruit fly eradication schemes in the South African province of Limpopo are expected to continue for at least another six weeks, according to a Cutting Edge bulletin.

The bulletin was sent by the South African Subtropical Growers' Association, updating members about the status of the Bactrocera invadens pest.

The province lies in the country's north-east and is host to avocado, tomato, mango, banana, citrus, macadamia, litchi and pawpaw plantations.

The bulletin said there had been various fruit fly detection cases in Limpopo's Weipe and Groblersbrug areas this year, with some zones still quarantined.

Eradication procedures began in Weipe on Jul. 7 and are expected to continue for another six to 10 weeks, to be followed by a four-week intensive monitoring period.

"An area of approximately 900 sq km (559 square miles), along the road from Weipe to Musina and from Weipe to Pondrift, has been quarantined and is currently under eradication."

The bulletin reported male annhilation treatments and air/ground applied protein bait treatment have been used as part of the procedures.

On Jul. 1 a male specimen of the pest was found in a methyl eugenol baited fly trap in Groblersbrug, while eradication began in a quarantine area on Jul. 25, with a similar timeframe expected as in Weipe.

"In 2010, B. invadens incursions were detected and successfully eradicated from Weipe and Groblersbrug areas, confirming that early detection makes successful eradication possible and demonstrating the value of close cooperation between DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), multiple industry bodies and affected growers," the bulletin said.

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