Wild (about) May

By Arthur Bovey, Mackay Branch RFCA

The ones amongst us who have used Wild May attractant to kill male fruit fly will know how effective it is. I first used it on 11th October 2005, initially it was killing up to 600 fruit flies a week. 

At first I used the attractant as instructed, which was to pour 20mm of the fluid in a soft drink bottle, which had the appropriate holes in it. This was great to start off, but after a while the fluid started to smell foul. Blowflies came after the smell and started to get killed as well, which added to the stench. From then on the liquid really stunk.

Each week I’d strain the fluid through an old piece of mosquito netting so I could count the kill, and re-use the fluid. The stink got so bad that it would ‘turn my stomach.’ To change the Wild May, in the original six traps, is not cheap as it took a third of a litre, then each week I had to add more Wild May to maintain the 25mm fluid level. I’d used one litre by 13th December 2005 so I decided to look for a less smelly way to kill the fruit flies, which would not use so much Wild May.

With this new trap, I only put 20mm of tap water in my bottles, which does not stink when I pour it through the netting, as it’s only one week old. It cost nothing to replace the water each time. The Wild May is still used, but only in a 25mm x 25mm x 15mm piece of plastic foam, which is suspended above the water by light string.

To set the six traps up, the usage of Wild May is very small. And each time I re-bait the traps the amount of fluid I use is much lower than the previous evaporation from the 25mm in the bottom of the old bottles. Now there is no stink. The only extra expense is an extra six soft drink bottles, 12 x 6g x 20mm self tapping screws, 12cm of twine [thin string], and the fore mentioned 25mm x 25mm x 15mm piece of foam! Note the photo and details.

There are a few things, which ‘my’ fruit flies have shown me, which I would like to share with you. If your fruit flies perform different to mine, don’t blame me.

Because I wanted to count my ‘kill’, I needed to strain the flies out of the used Wild May. Doing so, I must have splashed some of the fluid on the aluminium topped workbench, which is outside. Next morning about 7.30 I walked by the bench, and about five – six fruit fly flew up off the bench-top.

During the day I lay the 100mm square piece of used mosquito netting on the bench-top, I had not washed it because for a few weeks the fluid did not have a revolting smell. Next morning I approached the bench top slowly with a fly-swatter. At least six fruit flies were doing a type of dance on the bench top. There were three on the netting. I waited until their movement brought them close together. ‘Slap!’ Three dead fruit fly.

Most mornings I’m up at 4.30am and go for a 6km walk. By the time I’ve showered, eaten etc, it’s about 7am. That was the earliest time I observed my bench top, and the fruit flies were there already. Each morning that I was near the bench I killed two or three fruit flies, but I do have other things to do. I would pass that bench many times during some days, but after the early morning encounter, there were no fruit fly on the netting or bench. 

From this I think my fruit flies like their “morning glory”, but are disinterested in sex for the rest of the day. This is backed up ten months later. If I try to re-charge my traps before midday, there is a greater chance of a ‘live’ fruit fly in a trap. So I do not recharge them until late afternoon, when most of them have lost interest of reproducing.

Once in a trap, the fruit fly ‘usually’ did not seem to try to escape, so I cut big slots in the bottle. These are a problem if it’s windy, as all the water can evaporates within 2 –3 days. Also I have known the odd fruit fly to escape. To date, I’ve found 3 x 3/8” [10mm] entry holes to be the best compromise. Another reason why my holes are 3/8”, is it’s the biggest drill in my set of ‘wood drills.’ These wood drills cut at their outer edge, and are less likely to ‘dig in and rip the bottle.’ Also if you use high speed, and cut several holes in quick succession, the drill gets hot, and tends to melt as well as cut, which will make a neater hole. Not that this really matters, as you can always ‘trim’ any roughness from the holes with a pair of scissors. It just saves time.

The date of writing, 1st January 2007, and I’m only killing one or two fruit flies a week. [Good aye?] 

OK. I’ve tried to help you. Now please help me. 
How do I kill the sheilas?

The books say, ‘use protein bait & Malathion [powder].’ OK you spray it near your fruit trees. But how do you know if they are being killed? Also because I’m ‘sometimes’ very busy, I do not have time to re-spray the poison each time it rains in the wet season.

My fruit flies are attracted to yellow. Leave a plastic yellow bucket, near full with water out on a sunny day in my garden, and you will find several fruit flies having a welcome cool-off. Also there is yellow trim on my boat, and if I park it in the sun, fruit fly settle on it. [Never if I have a fly swat in hand!] Talking about colour and fruit flies, I once had a purple star apple, but hardly ate any of the huge crop as they were always full of fruit fly larva. This winter I have a green star apple tree, and I was eating the first crop, [5 up to date]. Sure, it’s winter, but some weeks there are a total of 20 fruit flies in my traps. 

I do not like using any poison on my garden. Plus spraying the protein seemed wasteful. I made up some small brackets with a roof. Painted them with some old yellow boat paint, and left them for months to ‘de-smell.’ As I use the sides of aluminium soft drink cans as labels, I have a store of their dished bases. One of these was placed on the bottom tray of the bracket, and a teaspoon of the above protein mix placed in each. [Total of protein used = 10 teaspoons]. I hung one of these brackets near the fore mentioned bench, which I can pass many times a day. But after months, I’m yet to see a fruit fly feeding on the protein!

Another problem, I can’t get ‘powdered’ Malathion, which they tell me is superior to the liquid. Also I keep my container of protein in my fishing deepfreeze, as it’s not allowed in the wife’s refrigerator. Will this harm the protein?

It seems obvious that killing a few thousand of male fruit fly has an effect on the local fruit fly population, but will it control them? With the male population somewhat decimated, surely some male flies will by-pass the traps, and find the real thing. I guess they will die young, but with a big smile on their faces, but in the mean time how many females are there ready to lay fertile eggs in my fruit this summer? 

To make one fly trap you need
2 empty 1.25lt plastic soft drink bottles, 2 x ½” No 6 self tapper screws, a piece of plastic foam 25mmx25mmx15mm, 12cm piece of string, a small nail and some old baling twine (the coloured synthetic stuff) or wire for hanging the trap.

MethodCut the top off one soft drink bottle about 5cm below the screw cap and discard the top. The remainder will be the base of your trap.
The opening needs to be lage enough for the plastic foam pad to easily fit through.

In this bottle drill 3 small holes at equal intervals about 4cm up from the base; this will stop the bottle from filling with water in heavy rain.
About 10cm up from the base of the bottle drill 3x 3/8” (10mm) holes, equally spaced, around the bottle. These are the holes that the fruit fly will enter through. 

Cut the top from the second empty soft drink bottle around where it stops flaring (discard the base) and place it over the top of the base bottle. Drill 2 pilot holes (opposite each other) through both bottles, for the self tappers. Only insert the self tappers half way so they go in and out by hand for easy removal of top when re soaking the foam pads or replenishing the water.

Drill a small hole in the cap for the string to pass through then tie the string to the middle of a small nail. Thread the string through the hole and attach the piece of plastic foam to the end of the string so it clears the 3 small drainage holes around the base. The nail will lie on top of the cap. Place 25mm water in the base bottle, soak the plastic foam with the Wild May, squeeze out excess Wild May then slide it into the base and attach the “top” with the self tappers.

To hang the trap in a tree you will need to tie some twine around the top (below and around the cap) and make suitable loops.

Contributed by Arthur C Bovey
39 Green Street. Nth Mackay. Qld. 4740. Ph 07 49424114