Oriental fruit flies trigger quarantines in Bay Area

Detections in Santa Clara County cities of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale have resulted in a quarantine zone covering 112 square miles, bordering Coyote Creek to the north; Saratoga to the south; Mountain View to the west, and Alum Rock to the east.

A link to the quarantine maps can be found at www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/off/regulation.html.

“Invasive fruit flies are serious pests for California’s orchards and backyard gardens,” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said. “These recent detections remind us that we need to remain vigilant in protecting our food supply and natural resources.

“The stakes are enormous, and not just in California. A new report from the United Nations notes that invasive species management costs hundreds of billions of dollars each year around the world,” Ross said. “We’re all in this together as we work to reduce this impact.”

The oriental fruit fly is known to target more than 230 different fruit, vegetable and plant commodities. California crops at risk include grapes, pome, stone fruit, citrus, dates, avocados, and many vegetables, particularly tomatoes and peppers.

Damage occurs when the female fruit fly lays eggs inside the fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots, which tunnel through the flesh of the fruit or vegetable, making it unfit for consumption.

Residents in quarantine areas are urged not to move those items from their property. However, they may be consumed or processed (i.e., juiced, frozen, or cooked on the property where they were picked) or disposed of by double bagging and placing in the regular trash, not green waste.

Agricultural officials use “male attractant” technique as the mainstay of the eradication effort for this invasive species, an approach that eliminated dozens of fruit fly infestations in California. Workers squirt a small patch of fruit fly attractant mixed with a very small dose of an organic pesticide, Spinosad, approximately 8-10 feet off the ground on street trees and similar surfaces. Male fruit flies are attracted to the mixture and die after consuming it.

The treatment program is being carried out over an area that extends 1 1/2 miles from each site where the oriental fruit flies were trapped.

The most common pathway for these pests to enter the state is by “hitchhiking” in fruit and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions of the world or from packages of homegrown produce from other countries sent to California.

People can find out more about not packing pests when traveling or mailing packages at www.dontpackapest.com.

The oriental fruit fly is widespread throughout much of the mainland of southern Asia and neighboring islands, including Sri Lanka and Taiwan, and it has infested other areas, most notably Africa and Hawaii.

For questions about the project call CDFA’s pest hotline at (800) 491-1899. More information may be found at www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/off.