Legal restrictions are in place after another Oriental fruit fly was discovered in a suburban Auckland backyard.
The single male fly was found in a surveillance trap in Birkdale, on the North Shore.
Another single male Oriental fruit fly was discovered in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe last month.
“This is the same species of fruit fly that we responded to in Papatoetoe recently, but it is too early to say whether the two finds are linked. Our lab will do further DNA analysis of the fly over the coming days,” Biosecurity NZ regional commissioner Mike Inglis said.
“We will be ramping up trapping and inspection, with daily checks in a 200-metre zone from the original find and checks every three days in a second zone out to 1500m.
“The capture of a single male does not mean we have an outbreak. However, while we do our checks for any other fruit flies, we need community help to prevent any possible spread.”
The fruit fly posed no human health risk, but there would be an economic cost to the horticulture industry if it were allowed to establish here.
Legal restrictions in place
Legal restrictions over the movement of fruit and vegetables in and out of the area where the insect was found will be in place “as a precautionary measure”.
“Instructions about these controls and the exact area affected will be issued tomorrow (Friday) once we have completed an initial investigation. In the meantime, we ask that people who live and work in the suburb not take any whole fresh fruit and vegetables out of your property.”
Inglis said residents “may notice increased activity in the neighbourhood as we go about inspections and trapping”.
“Our field officers may ask to look at fruit trees on your property. They will always show you a form of official identification and will only enter your property with your permission.”
To report suspected finds of fruit fly, call MPI’s Pest and Diseases Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.
