TWO new outbreaks of Queensland fruit fly have been detected in Victoria.
The outbreaks, at Eldorado, in the state's north east, and Strathmerton, west of Cobram, take the tally for this year to 14.Department of Primary Industries senior plant standards officer Bill Ashcroft said it was not unusual for the number of flies to increase at this time of year in some of the ''more endemic ends of the state'', such as Gippsland and north east Victoria.
''As the weather cools off and there's a bit of fruit lying around at the end of the season, the numbers start to climb,'' he said.
''There's certainly a trend that each year we do start catching flies, particularly in Gippsland and the north east at this time of year.''
Mr Ashcroft said there had been a greater number of outbreaks than usual in the past few years, with more than 30 reported last year and a similar number the year before.
Some outbreaks had occurred in rural settings or orchards and others in urban areas, he said.
Once an outbreak is identified, the DPI declares a 15km suspension zone around the site, to regulate the movement of locally-produced host fruit from the zone to Melbourne and other sensitive markets, including South Australia and Western Australia.
Host fruit for these markets must be treated before it is shipped from the zone.
The DPI also carries out an eradication program within a 1.5km radius from the detection site, and a leaflet describing the program is delivered to affected households.
''If there's messages for anybody in this, it's - given the number of flies seem to be elevated at this time of the year - people shouldn't be moving fruit around,'' Mr Ashcroft said.
''Especially fruit that might be carrying flies or larvae.''
Householders are requested to pick ripe fruit from backyard trees, rather than allowing it to fall on the ground and rot, and either cook or freeze unwanted fruit before putting it in the bin.
Unwanted fruit should not be composted or placed directly into the garbage.
Most fruits - including stone and pome fruit, citrus, berries, grapes, tomatoes, capsicums and chillies - are potential hosts of Queensland fruit fly.
Outbreaks also have been declared in the NSW Riverina, at Goolgowi and Hay, where adult male Queensland fruit flies were caught in monitoring traps.
