Efforts to contain an invasive insect threatening Southern California’s fruit crops have prompted the a quarantine across parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Since the Oriental fruit fly has been detected in Jurupa Valley, Ontario and surrounding Inland Empire communities, restrictions will be imposed on moving fruits and vegetables from affected areas, the California Department of Food and Agriculture said Thursday.
A quarantine zone now covers 131 square miles: 57 square miles in Riverside County, including Jurupa Valley, Eastvale, western Riverside and the northern half of Norco, and 74 square miles in San Bernardino County, encompassing much of Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga. Boundaries stretch north to Highway 210, south to Norco, west to Ontario and east to Rubidoux.
“The Oriental fruit fly is known to target over 230 different fruits, vegetables and plant commodities,” according to a CDFA statement. “Important California crops at risk include pome and stone fruits, citrus, dates, avocados and many vegetables, particularly tomatoes and peppers. Damage occurs when the female fruit fly lays her eggs inside the fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots, which tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it unfit for consumption.”
The insects, slightly larger than house flies with yellow undersides, are about 8 millimeters long. They are widespread in southern Asia, including Sri Lanka and Taiwan, and have invaded Africa and Hawaii.
Residents inside the quarantine area are urged not to move homegrown fruits or vegetables off their property. Produce may still be consumed or processed where it is grown through juicing, freezing, cooking, or disposal in garbage disposals. Discarded produce should be double-bagged and placed in regular trash bins, not in green waste containers.
Commercial growers face additional inspection and compliance directives overseen in Riverside County by the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office under state contracts.
Agricultural officials are deploying the “male attractant” technique to suppress the pest, during which trained workers apply a small amount of fruit fly attractant mixed with a very small dose of an organic pesticide, spinosad, approximately 8–10 feet off the ground on street trees and similar surfaces. Male fruit flies are then attracted to the mixture and die after consuming it.
This treatment is being carried out within 1.5 miles of every detection site. Pest control technicians have also set traps baited with chemical attractants to monitor the spread.
Officials stress that most infestations originate not from farms but from urban and suburban areas when pests hitchhike into the state.
The most common pathway is illegally transported fruits and vegetables brought by travelers or shipped in packages from infested regions.
The CDFA encourages travelers to review the “Don’t Pack a Pest” campaign at www.dontpackapest.com to find tips on preventing the introduction of invasive species.
These efforts, according to officials, are focused on ensuring California’s “natural environment and food supply plentiful, safe, and pest-free.”
Residents with questions can call the CDFA Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899.
