Malathion Sprayed in War on Medfly
Los Angeles County agriculture officials completed an aerial assault Tuesday against the Mediterranean fruit fly, spraying a 12-square-mile area of the San Fernando Valley with the pesticide malathion.
Two helicopters began spraying portions of North Hollywood, Studio City, Burbank and Toluca Lake about 9 p.m. Monday and continued until 1 a.m. Tuesday, said Bill Edwards, chief deputy with the Los Angeles County agricultural commissioner’s office.
The discovery of a pregnant Medfly in North Hollywood on Nov. 14 prompted the spraying, Edwards said.
Pesticides have been sprayed over more than 100 square miles of Los Angeles County in the continuing battle against the Medfly, which poses a serious threat to California’s $16-billion agriculture industry, state officials say.
Aerial sprayings in the San Gabriel Valley and the city of Brea in Orange County are planned later this month, Edwards said.
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