Medfly Found, but No Spraying Is Planned
A pregnant Mediterranean fruit fly was trapped in a peach tree near Koreatown in Los Angeles this week, but officials said Tuesday that they have no plans to begin the controversial aerial spraying of malathion unless more pests are found.
The Medfly, the first to be found in the state since last fall, was discovered Monday in the 1700 block of Catalina Street. Crews were putting out more traps and cutting into back yard fruit in an 81-square mile to determine the extent of the infestation. A 1989-90 Medfly infestation led to aerial spraing of malathion over 536 square miles, including a large part of Los Angeles County.
“At this point there has been no decision to spray, beyond ground applications,” County Agricultural Commissioner Leon Spaugy said. “It is safe to say unless we find additional flies, that situation will not change.” Residents are asked to keep their back-yard fruit at home and report any maggots in home-grown fruits to Spaugy’s office.
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