5 Oriental Fruit Flies Found in 2 Areas of City
Five Oriental fruit flies were found in two city neighborhoods this month, officials said Friday.
County officials were evaluating the need for a quarantine, which could cost local growers millions of dollars. Crews had begun applying bait and pesticide to utility poles in the hopes of killing any male flies.
The yellow-striped insect, slightly larger than a common housefly, attacks hundreds of fruits, including apples, avocados, bananas, tomatoes and lemons.
A quarantine would restrict produce only in the urban areas where the flies were found. Officials are concerned, however, that other countries could restrict imports from a larger countywide area.
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