Fooling Fruit Flies

The spotted-wing drosophila, a notorious pest that infests ripe, ready-to-eat fruit, poses a significant threat to farmers because it is very difficult to control with standard pesticides. A new approach to tackling the pest involves manipulating the behavior of these insects by disguising healthy fruit as being infected with an unappealing pathogen.

By studying the specific odors emitted by infected fruit, researchers identified chemicals that repel the flies when applied to healthy fruit and are developing a slow-release device to disperse these fruity odors in the field, ensuring they don't come into direct contact with the fruit. This method provides a new tool to help farmers protect crops without relying solely on insecticides.