Fruit fly quarantine includes Flintridge area

A section of Flintridge is included in an 89-square-mile quarantine area established Tuesday by the California Department of Food and Agriculture to stop the spread of Oriental fruit flies.

The area where the fruit flies have been found is bordered on the west by Figueroa Street, on the south by Interstate 10, on the east by the Big Santa Anita Wash and on the north by an imaginary line in the foothills of Pasadena. In Flintridge the impacted neighborhoods are those east of Chevy Chase Drive and south of Highland Drive. Residents are asked not to move plants and fruits from their property during the quarantine.

“All of us must work together to carry out an effective program, said A.G. Kawamura, secretary of the food and agriculture department. “We urge home gardeners to comply with these measures by consuming homegrown produce at home and not moving it from their property. This will protect their fellow gardeners and help ensure that the infestation will not spread to nearby areas where it could affect California’s food supply.”

The quarantine area will be treated for the fruit flies by workers who will spray a mixture of male fly attractant and pesticide, repeating the spraying at two-week intervals for at least four applications, according to the state. Male fruit flies are attracted to the mixture and die after consuming it.

A quarantine map can be found online at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov.