If the cherries are already infected, countermeasures can no longer be taken. Therefore, control must take place at the time of oviposition.
Means for controlling the cherry fruit flies
Cherry fruit flies overwinter in the ground and begin to lay eggs in May or June. Here they are dependent on the warmest and dry weather possible, so the flight time of these insects shifts depending on the weather. They mainly fly to the yellow fruits to lay their eggs there, so they can be fought with yellow tablets. These yellow panels attract the flies with their color and an attractant, and are coated with glue so that the flies stick to them
and die. About two of these yellow panels are required per meter of tree height.Chickens & ducks
Chickens and ducks are natural enemies of the cherry fruit flies. If you keep these animals in your garden, you can therefore keep the population of cherry fruit flies within limits by letting the birds scratch under the fruit trees in autumn and winter. They eat the pupae that hibernate in the ground and also devour the windfalls that may still be there
Cherry maggots are located.Nematodes
Nematodes can be bought in stores. They are put in water and put on the soil around the
Poured cherry tree. From there they spread in the ground and feed as a parasite on the larvae of the cherry fruit flies. With this type of control it is important to remember that Nematodes do not tolerate sunlight. They may therefore only be applied in the evening or when the sky is overcast. The nematodes also need a reasonably moist soil in order to be able to move. Nematodes are suitable for combating many pests, in order to use them against the larvae of the cherry fruit flies, they are best applied in June.Protection of the soil
A film that is laid out under the cherry tree prevents the larvae from penetrating the ground, where they pupate and overwinter. At the same time, all cherries that have already rotted due to larvae and fallen from the tree collect there. In this way, the infestation can be reduced in the next year - however, it is important to ensure that the windfalls are not on the
To dispose of your own compost, because then these pests would spread again from there in the next spring.Protection of the fruit
A culture protection net around the crown of the cherry tree prevents the cherry fruit flies from laying their eggs in the cherries. So that it also keeps these small flies, some of which are less than five millimeters in size, it has to be woven with a very fine mesh. It is also important to ensure that there are no gaps that the flies could use as an approach path.
Plant early ripening cherry varieties
Cherries that ripen early are usually free of maggots and worms. With them, the pre-ripening of the fruits is before the flight time of the cherry fruit flies, so they are of no interest to these insects as food for their larvae and are spared. At a Orchardthat is newly planted, it should therefore be considered whether one of the early cherry varieties can be planted in order to prevent an infestation from the outset.
