I have been told that the cherry fruit fly can be controlled by removing *every* cherry from the area, including those fallen on the ground. With them go the fruit flies. At the very least I would think their numbers would be reduced. Here is a quote from someone more knowledgeable at: Western Cherry Fruit Fly Management Pest populations can be suppressed or eliminated by careful attention to harvest. Few cherry fruit flies will complete their life cycle if all fruit is picked and removed from the orchard each season early in the traditional harvest period. If they are not controlled early in the fruit ripening period, some of the most advanced larvae will emerge and drop to the soil by mid-harvest. The author determined that from 10,000 to 20,000 fruit/acre remain in the average well-picked orchard after harvest. These fruit are sufficient to maintain endemic populations of this pest in the orchard, unless control is continued post-harvest. If all of the fruit is removed from an isolated tree or orchard prior to the time larvae emerge from the fruit, the trees become free of the pest until reintroduction. This re-establishment may occur rapidly, but often may not occur for several years. If fruit is abandoned due to rain cracking, and post harvest pest management is neglected, cherry fruit fly populations often greatly increase and control is more difficult the next several seasons.

Frank: What cherry are you growing that is coloring already? I have grown North Star for many years. Not colored yet but soon. As far as netting, at the first sign of pink I spray one application of Malathion (short residual) in the hope of controlling cherry fruit fly. Then I net the tree. No spraying after netting even if I do get powdery mildew sometimes. As far as netting, I use a post pounder and put in 4-8' stakes suitable for staking up a tomato plant in each corner around the tree. Since these are too short, I attach another 4' stake that is perhaps 1/2" diameter to the top of the post with a large automotive hose clamp. ON top of the smaller stake, I put on an upside down gallon milk jug. This is to prevent the stake from tearing the netting. Then I slide the top stake thru the loose hose clamp as high as I need to go and tighten the clamp. This system makes it easy to adjust for height as the tree gets taller. The netting is a large plastic netting thaI I stretch out behind the tree. We use two garden rakes to lift the netting and carefully get it over the tree (short stepladder on each side of the tree is helpful). This is not easy unless you have the whole family out then everyone pitches in. Once the net is over the tree, I staple the netting on the top sides of the 4 stakes. The bottom 1/2 is not stapled but drapes down. The netting touches the ground so I put a long wood stake horizontal along the ground to hold each side down in the wind and prevent birds from going underneath. This system allows me to lift up the netting on the sides and put my 6' stepladder inside to pick the fruit. Usually I make several pickings as the fruit in the center of tree ripens last. Fortunately my North Star is pruned to 8' height as too tall makes it hard to net. Last year I got 28 quarts of cherries (after pitting)! This year the crop is lighter but still a crop. Since my apples/pears/plums frosted out this year, at least I have some cherries to pick once ripe. Out of 3 tart cherry trees, this one made it thru the spring frosts due to location. Yes it is work, but if I don't net at the first sign of pink on the fruit, the birds will clean me out in just a few days.

Slinger: 99% of the damage to cherries in the East and Midwest is caused by the cherry fruit fly. Are you located in one of these areas, and just where are you located? Are you growing sweet or tart cherries? Are you sorting your cherries before pitting, or for fresh eating? Normally the cherry fruit fly leaves a small entry mark on the cherry that looks like a little black spot. You have to look to find it. Inside the cherry you will find a little white worm, with black frass around the pit. If you are pitting cherries, you will see the frass appear around the pitting area, and it is time to rinse the pitter. Cherry fruit fly can normally be controlled by cultural practices, without any need for spraying. Remove all cherries from the tree before the end of the fruiting season, since they may contain larvae. Then, during the winter months, hoe or cultivate out to the dripline of the tree, which disturbs the pupae in the ground by exposing them to cold and dessication. Most of the cherry fruit flies hatch right beneath the cherry tree. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Read the info on the SWD site that I suggested. For one thing, you can "cage" individual branches. Yes, I know that sounds goofy. But it's up to you to decide how you'll proceed. At this time, lots of luck with finding predators. Currently the key to management in a home garden is a combo of strategies which includes trapping, sanitation, and prompt harvesting.