Fruit Fly Officer visits to gardens in a red outbreak area
Our Fruit Fly Officers are working across outbreak areas to help stop the spread of fruit fly in South Australia.
What to expect if you're in a red outbreak area
If you live in a red outbreak area, we will usually visit your property once or twice a week during the first 12 weeks. Visits may continue after that if fruit fly is still detected in your neighbourhood.
If you are in a location affected by fruit fly, we will regularly visit your property to:
- Check your fruit and vegetables for fruit fly.
- Apply safe organic bait or traps.
- Collect and dispose of fallen fruit and vegetables.
Some teams carry out short-term inspections, while others are involved in ongoing treatment and monitoring. This means you may notice visits happening close together or further apart, depending on what’s needed in your area.
Who are Fruit Fly Officers?
Fruit Fly Officers are trained staff working for the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) in the Biosecurity SA team.
During our visits we will knock on your door to talk with you about what is needed in your garden, based on what is at risk of fruit fly. The types of fruit and vegetables you are growing will be recorded.
We carry official photo identification and wear PIRSA uniforms.
- In the Riverland, officers wear PIRSA-branded yellow high-vis vest, beige shirt and navy trousers.
- In other outbreak areas, officers may wear orange overalls.
Please allow easy access to your front and back gardens so we can do our work quickly. If you have dogs, please keep them restrained.
If you have any concerns about Fruit Fly Officers on your property, please call the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010.
How we manage property visits
We don’t publish a visit schedule online, as timing depends on local detection and treatment needs. Every visit is part of a coordinated state-wide effort to protect our fruit-growing regions.
You don’t need to be home for a visit, but we will knock and leave information if you're not available. If you have questions or want to discuss access to your property, please contact the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010.
Learn more
Removing at-risk fruit and vegetables
Fruit Fly Officers will collect and safely dispose of fallen or overripe fruit and vegetables in your garden that are at risk of fruit fly infestation.
If we find fruit fly maggots, we collect all fruit from the affected tree or plant to stop the spread.
If you have fruit trees in your yard, officers will visit weekly during the outbreak period to inspect for signs of fruit fly.
Releasing sterile fruit flies (SIT)
Once baiting and fruit removal have taken place, PIRSA also uses Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) to break the fruit fly breeding cycle. This involves releasing sterile fruit flies once or twice a week. They are released by:
- Specialised vehicles that slowly drive through the red outbreak area
- Planes for broader coverage in larger outbreak zones
These sterile flies mate with wild flies, and make sure there are no future generations of wild flies. This is a safe and effective way to reduce fruit fly populations over time.