Biofeed founder and managing director Nimrod Israely with Primary Industries Minister David Basham.

Israel fruit fly technology deployed in Adelaide in Australian first

A new international technology specifically designed to fight fruit fly is being deployed across metropolitan Adelaide in an Australian first.

The Marshall Liberal Government is trialling 4,000 innovative ‘FreeDome’ lures from Israel-based company Biofeed, which uses a chemical formula to attract, feed, and kill fruit flies.

Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham said the use of Biofeed lures shows the Government is throwing everything it can at the state’s current fruit fly outbreaks.

“With the spring season upon us and fruit flies becoming more active as the weather warms, it is important we look outside the box in our efforts to eradicate this pest and protect the thousands of horticulture jobs at risk across the state,” Minister Basham said.

“The Government met with Biofeed during a trade mission to Israel in 2019 and since then we have been in talks about how we can use this technology to help keep fruit fly out of South Australia.

“This is the first time FreeDome lures have been used in Australia and we’re very pleased to welcome Biofeed founder and managing director Dr Nimrod Israely here this week. Fruit fly ecologist Dr Israely is here to learn about
South Australia’s fruit fly outbreaks in detail and plan with our response team how best to trial his FreeDome lures in our environment.

“Some residents will start to see the yellow panels of the FreeDome lures appear in their gardens – they are very safe, but please don’t interfere with them, just let the lures do their job.

Read the media release from the South Australian Government.