Orchard hygiene essential after a warm Autumn
Now that harvest is done and dusted, there are still some less exciting orchard jobs to go before winter.
Any fallen fruit or overripe fruit still on the trees can still be a harbour for pests and diseases, warm days over late autumn and winter provide opportunities for these pests to build up before emerging in spring. Medfly in particular is active in temperatures above 12 degrees. Trapping during the PIPS 4 Profit IPDM project has shown continued Medfly activity through May 2025 presumably due to warmer than usual weather.
“During winter the life cycle from egg to fly can take up to 115 days which is plenty of time for eggs laid now to get through to spring, especially if winter is warm. ”
What to do
Remove all fruit that has been left unpicked on trees.
Sweep fruit from below the treeline and mulch finely to destroy any larvae within the fruit before they hop into the soil, become pupae and emerge in September. Pupae can survive in cold soil for up to 50 days.
Be especially diligent if you or your neighbours have lemon or orange trees around the home, as these are a favourite variety for Medfly to overwinter. Clean up any fruit that falls on the ground and finely mulch or solarise.