Officials Launch Oriental Fruit Fly Eradication Program

The State Department of Food and Agriculture has started an Oriental fruit fly eradication program in Rolling Hills Estates after flies were found last week during a routine check of traps.

Two flies were discovered, one at Palos Verdes Drive and Dapplegray Lane, the other at Deerhill and Harbor Sight drives.

The department has set up about 6,000 bait stations, which also will kill the insects, to determine whether there are more fruit flies in the area.

“This is standard procedure when we find fruit flies,” said Kevin Herglotz, spokesman for the state Department of Food and Agriculture. “We want to do everything we can to protect valuable agricultural crops and plants from pest and disease.”

Although there are few crops on the peninsula, Herglotz said the pest is attracted to backyard plants such as tomatoes, peppers and citrus trees.

The Oriental fruit fly, which is similar to the Mediterranean fruit fly that has caused much damage to California fruits and crops, is one of the most serious agricultural pests in Hawaii, India, Burma and Sri Lanka.

To keep the insect from spreading, the department has targeted a 10-square-mile section in the Rolling Hills area for the eradication program. The bait stations, which are the size of a large coin, have been placed on utility poles, trees and fences.

The traps target the male fruit fly, which is drawn to a mixture placed on the cardboard trap. Once the fly lands on the trap it is killed by an insecticide that also has been placed there.

Herglotz said the department will repeat the treatment every two weeks for about two months.

Two weeks ago the department lifted a two-year medfly quarantine in the Los Angeles area.

Herglotz said that the program established for the Oriental fruit fly is unrelated to the medfly quarantine because they are different species.

The Oriental fruit fly is not abundant in California and has not caused the damage wreaked by the medfly, Herglotz said.

“There has never been a big problem with the Oriental fruit fly,” Herglotz said. “The Oriental fruit fly program is geared toward preventive maintenance so that we don’t develop a problem in the future.”