Concern Rises After 3rd Medfly Is Found
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A third adult Mediterranean fruit fly has been found near Elysian Park, raising concern that there may be an infestation of the crop-threatening pest in the area, the county Agriculture Department said Monday.
Agricultural Commissioner E. Leon Spaugy said the discovery Sunday, two blocks south and 17 days after the initial find, might mean additional fruit flies are present.
“We may be on the edge of detecting an infestation,” Spaugy said.
If such a determination is made, he said officials will quickly order aerial spraying of the area with the pesticide malathion, which would be followed by the release of sterile flies to breed the pest out of existence.
At least 220 more insects traps are being set within a nine-square-mile area to augment the 1,400 traps set earlier. The traps will be checked daily to determine whether there are more Medflies in the area.
The Medfly is a destructive fruit fly and attacks more than 260 types of fruits and vegetables.
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