Parts of O.C. Are Declared Fruit Fly Quarantine Zone

State agricultural officials said Tuesday that they had declared a quarantine and begun eradicating Oriental fruit flies after finding several of them in a 116-square-mile area surrounding Santa Ana.

Natives of Asia, the flies can piggyback on fruit headed to California, where they can wreak economic havoc by laying eggs inside some 230 varieties of produce.

Agriculture is not prevalent in the quarantine zone. State officials say pesticide is selectively applied to trees, eight feet up, and extremely effective. The affected cities include Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Orange, Villa Park and Tustin.

During eradication, and probably into the fall, residents and businesses are not allowed to take fruits or vegetables out of the area without thorough inspections and, in some cases, fumigation.

Orange County Agricultural Commissioner Rick LeFeuvre said that though some growers would incur extra costs in complying with the quarantine, “the Oriental fruit fly has an outstanding eradication history, and the state has always done a good job.”