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Cherry Fruit Fly

© Carla Goodloe

These range throughout the USA except extreme Southwest and Florida.

Adult fruit flies resember small houseflies with barred wings. They lay eggs in developing fruit. The maggots are yellowish white and legless, with two dark mouth hooks. The insects overwinter as pupae in the soil, and adults emerge in early summer.

The most obvious symptoms include small and mis-shapen fruit with rotten flesh. Maggots are found feeding in that flesh. Cherries may also drop prematurely.

Vulnerable plants include cherry trees and bushes, pears, and plums.

The best control strategy is controlling the adults before eggs are laid. Use red spherical traps throughout the trees to attract and capture the culprits. This lets you know there is a problem. Then spray with 5% rotenone solution. Repeat at 7-10 day intervals until traps show no more adults. Rotenone although organic will also kill beneficials so you may want to use it only if the infestation is damaging enough to notice.

In late fall cultivate at least 2 inches of topsoil under the trees. Wait until after a couple frosts first. This method will expose overwintering pupae to the cold and predators. This should reduce their numbers next season.

The copyright of the article Cherry Fruit Fly in Garden Pests is owned by Carla Goodloe. Permission to republish Cherry Fruit Fly in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.