Wycheproof residents can expect a knock on the door over the weekend of September 8 & 9 as volunteers hit the streets to deliver fruit fly traps.

As part of the Wycheproof Fruit Fly Eradication Project, every household within the Wycheproof township will receive a trap for their garden.

Locals are encouraged to hang the wick-system trap as per the instructions provided to ensure blanket coverage of the entire community.

“Even if you don’t have a Queensland fruit fly host plant in your garden, it’s still important to hang the trap somewhere on your property,” Wycheproof Community Resource Centre (WCRC) manager Averyll Loft said.

“But remember trapping is just one of the methods you should be using to control and monitor fruit fly populations.

“For those who didn’t make it along to the community information session, everyone should have received a flyer and a brochure in their mailbox last Friday with everything you need to know.”

There will also be a free pruning workshop held in September for those who would like to learn more about fruit tree care and pruning techniques for good garden hygiene.

There are fruit fly traps available to Wycheproof residents who live on properties outside of the township. To enquire, contact WCRC on 5493 7455.

“We know that fruit fly has spread right across town and out to some of the farms,” Averyll said.

“By coming together as a community, a united front, we can stop it from spreading any further.”

Averyll said replacement wicks for the fruit fly traps would be delivered to homes at three month intervals during the project.

Locals will be able to follow the progress of the project through the monitoring of trap activity by volunteers and Wycheproof P-12 students.

“We will be monitoring a select number of traps around town to see where the most fruit fly activity is happening,” Averyll said.

The Wycheproof Fruit Fly Eradication Project is being delivered by WCRC and WycheAlive with funding from Agriculture Victoria’s Managing Fruit Fly Regional Grant Program.