Pumpkin flies

[Johan]

How do I get rid of Pumpkin flies / fruit flies, that attacks cucurbits?

[rustylady]

PEST CONTROL
Pumpkin fl ies
Damage
Adults sting young fruit to lay eggs and cause sunken brown spots. White
maggots develop inside the fruit.
Control
As the adult fl ies neither suck nor chew the foliage, they are controlled by
baiting. The bait mixture is splashed onto the leaves in coarse droplets. To
obtain satisfactory control, it is most important to begin baiting when the fi rst
fl owers appear and to do it consistently each week and after heavy rain. The
following bait is effective:
Apply mercaptothion at a rate of 35 ℓ to 40 ℓ mixture per hectare as a coarse
droplet spray on the underside of the foliage, that is, 300 g mercaptothion and
8 kg sugar in 35 ℓ to 40 ℓ water.
Proper crop rotation is essential in pumpkins to reduce potential pest problems.
Never grow pumpkins on land that has been planted with any other cucurbit
crops such as watermelons, squash, etc, within the last three years. Proper
rotation with no-cucurbit crops will help prevent potential problems from
carryover of disease organisms on plant material.

Taken from this document http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/Brochur...dePumpkins.pdf

[Thelma Sanders]

Ahh SA - now I know why I'd never heard of them before

[Johan]

I have seen a few videos on youtube today on how to make your own traps with apple vinegar as bait. i am going to try this.