I was told you have to bag the papayas as soon as the fruit appears. I haven't tried it myself yet. I understand you being upset, I had a cotton rat get all my peaches one year the day before I was going to pick them. Squirrels get many of my mangoes too.

Hi Katkin. Squarrels got some of my mangos but I had so many I didn't mind sharing but my figs are another thing. They took all but a couple. My green isacha is still so small it hasn't fruited yet. My papayas are flowering now so I know I have to move quickly. Did you shoot the rat?

Keiki, we lost all our papayas this year, our first with store bought seeds. I have never had this problem before with Maridol - yellow flesh. Is it true that the yellow fruited varieties don't get the worms? Is there a dwarf or semi-dwarf variety?

You can probably use the brown paper bags...I think they sell a pack of them at Publix or WM?

Found this link also...Good luck!
Link

The Critters in my yard eat everything I grow as well...its very frustrating. So far I've not had any problems with fruit flies yet...

Here is a link that might be useful: Bagging papaya

Shuffles, I think yellow colored fruits are just as susceptible to the fruit fly, my yellow grumichama is proof.
I have heard that the yellow fruits are not as noticeable to the birds. The catbirds will go after my Cherry of the Rio Grande fruits once the fruit changes from green color to the red/purple. But have never seen bird damage to the yellow grumichama fruits, which only go from green to yellow.

DM

Shuffles when I said yellow fruit varieties I meant for my figs. Squirrels and birds don't bother the yellow/green figs but my largest fig is a noid dark skinned fruit. For figs its best to get closed eye varieties for insect control. I think all papayas are suspect to fruit fly if they are in your area.

Thanks puglvr1 I read something about using paper bags but I laughed cause our summer rains would turn them to mush so quickly. Will check out your link, Thanks.

I remember a few years ago reading about gardeners on the east coast having trouble with fruit flys and was so thankful I didn't have them. DANG

I try and bag my papaya, when I can reach them...with old stockings-socks-hosiery...old panty-hose cut them in lengths...anything that covers the entire fruit when it is first formed, and hosiery etc. does stretch to allow for growth...I use it over and over and keep them in a bag in the back-room...sally

Saldut, I would think panty hose or socks would do the job better then a paper bag. Good idea!! :o)

Thank you Sally! I am definately going to try that.

Old socks are sure plentiful in my house, the holes in the heel doesn't bother the papaya one bit!! LOL, sally

I had heard about the devastation fruit flies can cause but had no experience until the late summer of 2011. Thats when I lost half my Kent mango harvest. My favorite tasting mango, luckily I picked most off the tree before they fully matured, but the remaining fruits left on the tree were suddenly full of the black spots where the flies had punctured the skin and planted their larvae, ruining the fruit.
I then investigated and discovered the apple cider vinegar in a bottle trick. The next year all my mango and papaya trees were hung with at least one glass jar with the metal screw-on covers punched thru with 6 - 8 small holes and with 8 - 10 oz of vinegar inside. The theory is that the flies love the vinegar more than the fruit and can smell its pungent odor before they even see the jar. They then slip thru the small holes in the cap, cannot get back out and drown in the vinegar.
It all sounded too easy but lo and behold, it worked, at least it did for me. The flies attack the mangos late in their life cycle while still on the tree. So my jars are out on every tree once the fruits, both papayas and mangos, are in their juvenile stage. During one growth cycle I have to change out the vinegar once,..easy to determine when,..the liquid goes pale, odor depleted and jar is glutted with a big black mass of dead fruit flies.
Works for me,..just my 2 cents worth.

Jofus, that sounds like a good idea too. Maybe easier than covering every fruit. I will give it a try with my new papaya fruiting for the first time this year. :o)

Never had to bag a fruit,...ever !

Jofus that does sound too easy! I am definately going to try it. I think I will cover some fruit with hose and hang the vinegar and see what happens.

Thanks to all who reposnded! I knew I would get help from you guys.

That is great idea jofus, I'm going to try it as well!! thanx, sally

I've got my jar in place now. Hope it works for me like it did you Jofus. :o)

Great little trick Jofus!! Appreciate the pictures...a picture is worth a thousand words :o) I don't have issues with fruit flies now luckily but I do have problems with Critters eating everything in site,lol...hopefully I won't ever need to use this trick but good to know just in case...

Good luck katkin...please let us know how it works for you.

I just hung my jar of vinegar yesterday and it already has fruit flies in it. Yea!!

I see that someone just put some Japanese Fruit bags up for sale on ebay. They look like a good deal and I think I'm going to try them.

I have used the vinegar in a jar for over a year now and it has worked wonderfully. I am going to try it with my peach tree now too. No bagging necessary.
Jofus, I can't thank you enough for this tip!!!!

Thanks katkin, glad my little tip was helpful.
A current update : My main focus here has evolved into growing mango's, bananas and papayas, have given up on tomatoes & other small fruits,..too many pests here for me. However, mango's and papayas have enemies of their own,..mostly concerning the mango's.
I am now on the threshold of what looks like the largest harvest of mango's I've ever encountered in my 14 years at this, and from only three trees that have really taken off in the last five years,..the Kent, Vallencia Pride and the Glenn. All bursting with tiny pannicles and fruit.
No papayas growing yet tho,..will plant two small trees soon.
Since this season has started ( mid Dec ) I have sprayed the mango trees four times for anthracose,..the most ever ! My apple cider vinegar jars are cleaned & ready, will be hung out in another month as I have found that the white flies attack mostly late in the season. An added ingredient i left out, - many people add a drop or two of dishwashing liquid to the apple cider vinegar,..supposed to guarantee their wings get too heavy to fly. However, whether I use the dishwashing liq or not, the results are the same.
The Glenn mangos are the ones that are least succeptible to the fruit flies because they are an early season mango, - last one is usually picked by July 1st. The Kent and the Vallencia Pride however, are late season varities,..BOTH those trees will get 2 or 3 jars of vinegar each !!!!!
Also I have just purchased a one door small animal trap, mainly to corral the squirrels,...who are notorious mango destroyers. I know there are those out there who love small animals like squirrels,..I will only say that I will try being as humane as possible. The bottom line however, is that squirrels rank right up there with the fruit flies as the the main threats to any mango farmer.
Right now keeping my fingers crossed, ..will report back in late July on the eventual outcome. ( smile )

This post was edited by jofus on Sun, Mar 16, 14 at 18:10

I will be trying out these ideas as well. I have a Nam Doc Mai that looks like it will bloom soon. I have had to spray for athracnose as well, but it's made a big difference to my Pickering Mango. I ordered it and it was diseased when it arrived. Finally getting new growth that isn't spotted or stunted, although it still is not the healthiest looking tree.

What is athracnose? Fungal? My Mango leaves are being eaten by something (don't see the bug), but the tree got hit with sooty mold last year and all the old leaves are coated black. It is flowering now, I don't like using chemicals on fruit we eat so wonder what you use to treat Athracnose? Also, is anyone getting sooty mold on their trees? What do you use?

Jane

Can only comment on the diseases & attacks I have experienced,

Anthracnose is a fungus that will spread a blackish stain over the leaves, branches & fruit if unattended. To avoid this as much as I can, I carefully water the tree only around the base of the trunk, and only early in the morning,..never get water on the leaves. if it happens anyway, I simply spray liquid copper fungicide as soon as the fungus is noted. Then as many as 2, 3, or even 4 more sprays, 2 weeks apart, - but never after say, early March.
Sorry, am not aware of any " eco-friendly " treatment for this fungus besides the early watering preventive measure,..maybe other contributors may have some ideas.

Sooty Mold is something I've never experienced, but the experts say its not serious and can be identified since it easily scrapes off. The attached link explains what to do if it occurrs.

And last but not least, the black flies usually attack towards the end of the growing season and must be dealt with immediately. Luckily the apple cider vinegar bottles have worked for me. This season I will be hanging 2 bottles on ea of the two late trees,..the Kent and Vallencia Pride,..and one on the early season Glenn. These bottles will all be hung out by mid April, just to be sure, then refreshed usually 2 months later.

The link : http://www.mangifera.org/disease.php

Hope this helps.

This post was edited by jofus on Tue, Mar 18, 14 at 21:39