Loquat tree management

Now is the time to prepare your loquat trees (and other fruit trees) to be able to manage them for fruit fly.

Remove lower branches on your tree, rake up all debris under the tree canopy & spray out any weeds under the tree canopy.

Once this is done the ground under your tree will be clean and it will be easy to see and collect any fallen fruit. Fruit on loquat trees will be ready for harvest in around 4-6 weeks, so it is vital to prepare now to make it easy to spot fallen fruit.

If your loquat tree is small enough, it is an ideal time to cover it with an insect exclusion net – but bear in mind, it is highly likely that fruit flies may be sheltering in the canopy of your loquat tree and may get trapped inside the net. To trap and kill female fruit flies inside the netted tree, you can hang a BioTrap or spray inside the canopy of the tree with a natural pyrethrum spray.

Do not underestimate how important management of loquat trees at this time of year. If loquat trees are properly managed there is a good chance of stopping the first generation of fruit flies this spring.