The discovery of an invasive fruit fly prompted a rare quarantine of produce of a neighborhood in Los Angeles County, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced last week.
This is “the first Tau fruit fly quarantine ever in the Western Hemisphere,” according to the CDFA.
More than 20 Tau fruit flies were found in Stevenson Ranch, an unincorporated area near the city of Santa Clarita. The Tau fruit fly is native to Asia and described by the CDFA as a “serious pest for agriculture and natural resources.”
Tau fruit flies are about the same size as a housefly. The adult females lay eggs in produce, and the larvae "tunnel through" and feed on it, deeming it unfit for consumption, according to the CDFA.
A quarantine was imposed that encompassed 79 square miles, from Castaic Junction to the north, Oat Mountain to the south, the Del Valle unincorporated community to the west and Honby Avenue to the east.
It’s believed the invasive species came to California via travelers who brought over un-inspected produce.
"To prevent the spread of this invasive species, residents living in the quarantine area are urged not to move any fruits and vegetables from their property," the CDFA said. "They may be consumed or processed (i.e. juiced, frozen, cooked, or ground in the garbage disposal) at the property where they were picked. Otherwise, they should be disposed-of by double-bagging in plastic and placing the bags in a bin specifically for garbage."
The CDFA is working with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner to eliminate the species and prevent it from spreading to new areas by inspecting produce within 200 meters of the fruit fly detections and treating them with "a naturally derived organic-approved material known as Spinosad."
"Finally, fly traps that incorporate a pheromone lure and a minute amount of pesticide will be used in a wider part of the treatment area," the CDFA said.
