The real problem is not the worm itself, but the fruit fly .
This pest does not attack leaves or stems. It goes directly to the fruit. It bores into the peel and lays its eggs there. When the larvae hatch, they develop inside the fruit, where they are protected.
That’s why common insecticides almost never work:
- The fruit acts as a natural shield.
- It is not advisable to apply chemicals directly to something that you are going to consume later.
- The cycle continues if it is not interrupted at the appropriate time.
To solve the problem at its root, we must attack the fly’s reproductive cycle.
The effective solution: a homemade trap with a PET bottle
A technique widely recommended by agricultural specialists involves using a homemade trap with a plastic bottle to attract and capture flies before they damage the fruit.
Materials needed
- 1 PET bottle with cap (can be 500 ml or larger)
- Nail or hot iron
- 100 ml of water
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- Ripe fruit pulp (guava, mango, passion fruit, jabuticaba or other sweet fruit)
- Thread, string, or wire
How to prepare the trap step by step
1. Make the holes
Using a hot nail or iron, make four lateral holes approximately in the center of the bottle.
- They shouldn’t be too big.
- The ideal size is similar to the thickness of a pencil.
- They must allow the fly to enter, but make it difficult for it to leave.
It is important that they are at mid-height, not near the neck of the bottle.
