3 Infestations of Medfly Found in County--a First

Los Angeles’ battle against the pesky Medfly escalated Thursday as agricultural officials for the first time declared three simultaneous infestations by the crop-destroying pest, requiring aerial spraying of malathion over a 32-square-mile area early next week.

The latest infestation was declared Thursday in an eight-square-mile section of Whittier when two flies were found in two traps on a single piece of property. Two Mediterranean fruit flies, including one mated, were found Wednesday during routine inspections of traps in back yard fruit trees.

That brings to 45 the number of Medflies found in the county this year.

The new flies were found one day after officials announced plans to spray a 24-square-mile area encompassing Baldwin Park, La Puente and West Covina to combat an infestation there. Efforts to eradicate the Medfly also are under way near Dodger Stadium and in Santa Clara County.

“I can’t recall when we’ve had three infestations of Medfly simultaneously in Los Angeles,” County Agricultural Commissioner Leon Spaugy said Thursday.

The Medfly poses a danger to the state’s multimillion-dollar agricultural industry because females lay their eggs in fruits and vegetables, which become infested with maggots and become unsalable.

Spaugy said he plans to meet with federal authorities to discuss ways to tighten precautions against infestations, including offering rewards for the apprehension of people bringing in illegal fruit and vegetables.

“It’s time to circle the wagons,” Spaugy said.

“I have to imagine that there is seemingly a callous disregard for plant quarantine regulations,” he added.

Spaugy said he, agricultural officials in Sacramento and Medfly experts in Florida, Hawaii and Guatemala agreed that because of the distances between the finds, the three infestations are independent of each other, requiring aerial spraying.

Spraying is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday night over Baldwin Park, La Puente and West Covina and Wednesday night over Whittier. It will be followed by the release of millions of sterile male flies to breed the pest out of existence.

Beginning today, 300 workers from the California Conservation Corps will begin distributing flyers to 400,000 residents advising of the spraying. Officials say that spraying is safe but advise residents to cover cars to protect them from the syrupy mixture.

Spaugy estimated that it will cost taxpayers $1 million to $2 million to fight the latest infestations.

He asked residents to report maggot-infested fruit to his office.