Federal and state agriculture authorities on Sept. 16 established an Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) quarantine in the Fountain Valley area of Orange County, California. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
This action is in response to the confirmed detections of six adult male and two unmated adult female oriental fruit flies from various sites in the Fountain Valley area by CDFA between Aug. 15 and Sept.12. All of the detections were from traps in various types of fruit trees in residential areas.
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from the area to prevent the spread of the oriental fruit fly to non-infested areas of the United States. In cooperation with CDFA, APHIS is establishing a quarantine area, which encompasses 100 square miles of Orange County. There is no commercial agriculture in the quarantine area.
APHIS is working with CDFA and the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner Division to respond to detections following program survey, treatment protocols and regulatory responses.
The establishment of this quarantine area is reflected on this APHIS website, which contains a description of all current federal fruit fly quarantine areas. In July, a portion of Los Angeles County was placed under quarantine for the Oriental fruit fly. Read more about that action here.
Additional information on the oriental fruit fly quarantine areas may be obtained from APHIS Fruit Fly National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at 301-851-2109.
The Oriental fruit fly is considered one of the most serious of the world’s fruit fly pests due to its potential economic harm. It feeds on more than 436 different fruits, vegetables and nuts, including fig, loquat, mango, orange, peach, plum, sapote, soursop, Surinam cherry, tangerine, tropical almond and guava. The fruit flies lay their eggs in host fruits and vegetables. In a few days, the eggs hatch and maggots render the fruits or vegetables inedible.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture APHIS