2nd Fruit Fly Found; Hand-Spraying Begins

The discovery of the second Mediterranean fruit fly within a week has prompted state agricultural officials to begin hand-spraying some trees with a mixture containing Malathion, a poison deadly to the flies.

“We are not considering this an infestation,” said Kevin Herglotz, a spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “It does have us very concerned, however. If we find any additional flies, it will be an infestation.”

In addition to the limited spraying, Herglotz said, the state is intensifying its monitoring and trapping efforts, which were accelerated last week after the first fly was found in a peach tree during a routine inspection.

Agricultural officials are also asking the public to refrain from moving home-grown fruit out of their yards, to scrutinize any packages containing fruit sent from out of state and to avoid bringing fruit in from other states.

“These kinds of pests can cause millions, if not billions, of dollars in damage, and that’s something we don’t want to see,” Herglotz said of the flies, which can destroy more than 250 varieties of fruits, nuts and vegetables. “Obviously, our goal is to find no more of them.”