More Traps Set Near Site of Medfly Discovery

Detection traps have been increased in the Westminster area surrounding the site of last week’s discovery of a Mediterranean fruit fly, state and county agricultural officials announced Monday.

Traps, which are normally set at five per square mile, have been increased to 100 per square mile near the find, said Gera Curry, information officer for the state Department of Food and Agriculture. The trapping is expected to determine whether the fly was alone or part of an infestation.

Curry said “it was kind of inevitable” that an infestation would occur, given the amount of fruit being sent illegally from Hawaii to California. In June, U.S. postal workers in Santa Ana intercepted an illegal shipment of spoiled tropical fruit containing seven Mediterranean fruit fly larvae.

“It’s just been absolute, happy accident that has found these things,” Curry said. “But on many, many other occasions, I’m sure we haven’t seen them.” She said fruit shipped without the proper Department of Agriculture certification is probably not being detected.

Under the law, even if postal inspectors suspect that a first-class package contains illegal fruit, it cannot be inspected unless there is probable cause to suspect a crime.

Forty-two Medflies were trapped in Los Angeles County from July 27 to Sept. 8, prompting officials to spray the areas with a protein bait laced with the pesticide malathion. Sterile Medflies were also set loose in a bid to control the infestation.

Medfly eradication cost the state $100 million during the 1980-82 infestation in Northern California. The pest attacks more than 260 types of fruits, nuts and vegetables.