Medfly quarantine ordered for two counties

Responding to a finding of two wild Mediterranean fruit flies near Upland in San Bernardino County, local, state and federal agriculture departments placed portions of San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties under quarantine.

Working collaboratively, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the agricultural commissioners of San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties have identified a 95-square-mile quarantine area. The quarantine will affect any growers, wholesalers and retailers of susceptible fruit in the area as well as local residents. Home gardeners are urged to consume homegrown produce on site and not move it from their property.

The Medfly is known to target more than 250 types of fruits and vegetables. Damage occurs when the female lays eggs inside the fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots and tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it unfit for consumption.

CDFA reported that sterile male Medflies are scheduled to be released in the area as part of an eradication effort. In addition, properties within 200 meters of detections are being treated to remove any mated female Medflies and reduce the density of the population. Finally, fruit removal will occur within 100 meters of properties with larval detections and/or multiple-adult detections. These actions protect against the artificial spread of the infestation to nearby regions where Medflies could affect California's food supply and backyard gardens. CDFA reported that it has successfully eradicated every detected Medfly infestation in California history, dating back more than 45 years.

While fruit flies and other invasive species that threaten California's crops and natural environment are sometimes detected in agricultural areas, the vast majority are found in urban and suburban communities, according to agricultural officials. The most common pathway for these invasive species to enter the state is by "hitchhiking" on fruits and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions of the world, officials said.

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