Bait sprays against the European cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi: Status Quo & Perspectives

Bait spray experiments against Rhagoletis cerasi were carried out in 2005 to 2007. The main principle of this method is to use food (e.g. sugar and proteins) as baits for the flies with small amounts of insecticides, which is applied on parts of the cherry tree. Main focus was aimed at laboratory and field cage experiments using the commercial GF-120 Naturalyte Fruit Fly BaitTM with the insecticide spinosad, which is registered against North American cherry fruit fly species in the US and Canada. Furthermore, additional bait spray formulations as alternatives to GF-120 were used to define the right food bait quality for a high attractiveness and low reproduction ability. Beyond, the negative effect on reproduction of flies for azadirachtin (neem) was shown. During this project, promising results, e.g. efficacies up to 99 % with infestation rates below the infestation threshold were obtained. From 2008 on, other insecticides, like azadirachtin (neem) and pyrethrine in an appropriate food bait mixture will be used. Questions like efficacy, adequate concentrations, persistence, rainfastness and practicability in commercial cherry orchards will be answered