Elderberry Springs Farm “Bait/Lure Recipe”

Elderberry Springs Farm “Bait/Lure Recipe” For Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD Fruit Fly)

Pesticide-Free Approach to Saving Your Soft Fruit!!!

Materials:

Plastic Quart Deli Container with Lid (Make holes in container per Elderberry Springs Farm’s video clip)

½ Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast

2 Tablespoons Sugar

6 Ounces of Water.

1. Mix all of the above ingredients together and pour into the ”Trap” modified Quart Size Deli Container. Place lid onto the container.

2. In Climate Zone 5 (New England & NY State)- place the traps out by June 13th. This is important so you can catch the first breeding females. They reproduce so rapidly it is very important to stay ahead of them and trap them EARLY!!!

3. Place the trap at ground level, within a shaded part of the plant’s vegetation. Place the traps at a minimum distance of 10 feet and a maximum distance of 25 feet from one another. Inspect the traps every week to identify the type of fruit flies and/or insects caught. (Record the Date each year when SWD first appeared so you know when to put the traps out next year!)

4. Replace the old Bait/Lure mixture with a fresh mixture once every 2 weeks until the end of fruit harvesting. (Note: Kombucha is also a good lure and can stay in the traps for weeks without incurring the labor of frequent replacement!)

5. Enjoy your pesticide-free approach to saving your Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Elderberries, and other soft fruit. For more information go to www.ElderberrySprings.com