ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY QUARANTINE DECLARED IN SANTA ANA AREA

“Male annihilation” eradication program underway

SACRAMENTO, November 14, 2006  — A 93-square-mile quarantine for the Oriental fruit fly has been declared in the Santa Ana area of Orange County following the detection of adult flies and larvae in the vicinity.

A quarantine map and boundaries are available on the CDFA Web site at http://pi.cdfa.ca.gov/pqm/manual/htm/410.htm. Generally, the western boundary of the quarantine zone is Brookhurst Street; the northern boundary is West Katella Avenue and East Katella Avenue; the eastern boundaries are several surface streets including Newport Avenue, Skyline Drive and Tustin Ranch Road; and the southern boundary includes portions of 22nd Street, Highway 73 and University Drive.

An eradication program in the quarantine zone is already underway and is relying largely on the “male annihilation” technique, which consists of a minute amount of pesticide mixed with fruit fly attractant and squirted in small quantities on trees and utility poles.  Male fruit flies are drawn to the mixture and are killed by it.  CDFA has been using the male annihilation technique for more than 30 years. It has a 100 percent success rate in California, never failing to eradicate a fruit fly infestation.  Crews are also removing fruit from trees in the area.

Agricultural shipments from the quarantine zone will be limited by specific regulations designed to stop the movement of potentially infested commodities. In addition, people moving through the quarantine zone are urged not to remove fruits and vegetables from the area.

The Oriental fruit fly can infest over 230 types of fruits and vegetables and, like many invasive species, poses a severe threat to the food supply and the environment.

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