There has been no sign of any more Queensland fruit flies in west Auckland, where the discovery of a single fly last Tuesday sparked a major biosecurity operation.
However, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said it was continuing a large-scale field effort to ensure that if any of the insects were present, they would not able to spread from the Avondale area.
About 30 MPI staff were at the Avondale Market today, informing the public about the restrictions in place.
The MPI said in a statement 71 traps had been installed in "Zone A'' - the area up to 200 metres from where the fly was found - and 188 traps in the surrounding "Zone B''.
Ripe fruit from the area had been collected and was being tested for larvae. The contents of surveillance traps was also being tested.
Some 200 wheelie bins had been placed throughout the controlled area for the disposal of fruit and vegetable waste.
People with in-sink waste disposal units were encouraged to use them to get rid of fruit and vegetable waste.
There were no plans for aerial spraying of the area with insecticide, and the evacuation of residents from the area would not occur as part of a potential response to an outbreak.
MPI deputy director general Andrew Coleman said the control measures were likely to be in place for up to two weeks while checks were done for the presence of any breeding population of the pests.
"On that note, people living in the controlled area do not need to go searching for fruit flies. These insects are very difficult to identify by eye alone and people need to trust in the traps.
"The traps that we have set are internationally recognised as the best way to locate any breeding population present, and if one is there, we will find it,'' Mr Coleman said.
The MPI has warned the fly could have serious consequences for the New Zealand horticulture industry, which exports $2.23 billion of fruit and vegetables a year.
MPI adviser Natalie Quirke said species of fruit fly had been intercepted 53 times at the New Zealand border, preventing a population from establishing here.
The Queensland fruit fly had been detected twice before in New Zealand - in Northland in 1995 and in Auckland in 1996.
"In both cases increased surveillance found no further sign of Queensland fruit fly and there were no breeding populations present.''
Horticulture NZ president Andrew Fenton told the Herald on Sunday it was an "anxious time'' for all growers.
Supermarkets within Zone B had signs up asking people not to buy produce unless they lived within the MAF boundary.
The Australian horticulture industry spends almost $130 million a year attempting to control the fruit fly.
