Eighth Queensland fruit fly found in Auckland - Biosecurity New Zealand

Another Queensland Fruit Fly has been found in Auckland. File photo / Supplied / Ministry of Primary Industries

Another Queensland fruit fly has been found within the current Northcote controlled area, bringing the total to eight over the past three and half months, Biosecurity New Zealand says.

In a statement, the Government authority said efforts to eradicate the pest would increase, with bait placed on fruit trees to attract and kill adult flies, in particular females.

The current restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables remain, and trapping and the collection of fallen fruit in some of the controlled area would continue, Biosecurity New Zealand spokeswoman Dr Catherine Duthie said.

"While it is concerning there has been another detection, it still doesn't tell us that there is a breeding population. What it does is raises the potential that Queensland fruit flies remain in the area, albeit at very low levels."

The latest finds mean the B zone in Northcote would be expanded, and a new A Zone with a radius of 200m would be set up around the new detection, along with the associated restrictions on the movement of fruit, vegetables and green waste.

The controlled area of 1.5 km would expand westwards from the latest detection.

"Our teams on the ground will continue removing fallen fruit from backyards in the A zone, and placing bait on fruit trees," Duthie said.

"The bait is made up of a protein to attract adult fruit flies, and a very low concentration of insecticide to kill the flies. It's similar to how people bait wasps in their backyards.

"The baits are toxic to fruit flies. We have taken every precaution to make sure the baits are safe around people and animals."

Residents would be told at least 24 hours' notice before bait was placed on their property, she said.

"Biosecurity New Zealand is very grateful for the support all communities affected by the fruit fly detections continue to give us.

"We know it's a huge inconvenience but it's vital for our horticultural industries that we do this. We don't want this pest to establish here."

Detailed maps of the controlled areas and a full description of the boundaries, and full information about the rules are at www.biosecurity.govt.nz/fruitfly

No fruit and vegetables (other than leafy or root vegetables and cooked, processed, preserved, dried, frozen and canned fruit) can be moved from Zone A of the controlled area.

Compost and green waste from gardens also cannot be moved out of this zone.

Residents in the A Zone were asked to avoid composting fruits and vegetables.

For disposing of fruit and vegetable waste, they are encouraged to use a sink waste disposal unit if possible or bins provided by Biosecurity New Zealand. Bins would soon be delivered for this.

In the B Zone, no fruit and vegetables grown in the zone could be moved out of the controlled area. Produce sourced commercially from outside the area could be moved.

Timeline: Fruit flies found in Auckland, 2019

February 14 - Single male Queensland fruit fly located in Devonport, on the North Shore. A Controlled Area Notice is put in place.

February 18 - A different species of fruit fly, a male facialis, discovered in Ōtara, south Auckland. A Controlled Area Notice is put in place.

February 20 - Another single male Queensland fruit fly found on the North Shore, this time in Northcote. A Controlled Area Notice is put in place.

February 21 - A second single male facialis detected in Ōtara, only 70m from the first find.

February 23 - Another single Queensland fruit fly found in Northcote.

February 28 - A third single male Queensland fruit fly detected in Northcote, 270m from where the last was found.

March 4 - A fourth male Queensland fruit fly detected in Northcote, approximately 80m from where the last was found.

March 5 - A third single male facialis detected in Ōtara, 630m north of the last find.

March 10 - A fifth single male Queensland fruit fly is found in Northcote, 60m from where the last was found.

March 14 - A sixth single male Queensland fruit fly is found in Northcote 650m south of the original find. The operational response was stepped up to include baiting.

March 22 – The Controlled Area Notices for Devonport and Ōtara are lifted after no further fruit flies were detected. Enhanced trapping continues as a precautionary measure.

April 12 – The Controlled Area Notice for Northcote is lifted after no further fruit flies were detected. Enhanced trapping continues as a precautionary measure.

April 25 – A seventh single male Queensland fruit fly was found in Northcote 460m away from where the cluster of male flies were found over three weeks. A Controlled Area Notice is put in place.

May 10 – An eighth single male Queensland fruit fly is found in Northcote 1.6km from where the last fly was found. The operational response is stepped up to include baiting.