Local News in Brief : Spray Apparently Works, Official Says
Mediterranean fruit fly maggots were found in a Westside kumquat tree during the weekend, but a county agricultural official said a helicopter malathion spraying of the area appeared to be effective.
Bill Edwards, chief deputy of the county Department of Agriculture, said Monday that five maggot sites have been found in the 35-square-mile area sprayed with 1,400 gallons of malathion by helicopters on Oct. 6 and 7.
But, he added, no flies have been found in addition to the 48 trapped in the area that includes West Los Angeles and parts of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Millions of sterile flies were released in the area to mate with any surviving wild flies. An agricultural quarantine has been imposed, forbidding transportation of home-grown fruits and vegetables from the area.
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