Action points to control Sciarid & Phorid flies
Flies are effective vectors of disease because the sticky disease spores attach themselves to the flies legs and the flies transport them from crop to crop.
Sciarid and phorid flies can breed in bushland, ‘waste’ or ‘spent’ compost in the farm environment and, most efficiently of all, in growing rooms.
The odour associated with the Phase 3 compost arriving on a farm either in bulk or blocks acts like a strong magnet to attract flies to the new crop.
The fact that a female sciarid can produce around 100 offspring and a female phorid can produce around 50 offspring means that new crops need to be strongly protected from invasion by adults and a holistic and integrated approach to fly control is needed.
