After almost 11 months, the Oriental fruit fly quarantine in the Altadena/Pasadena area is over.
The California Dept. of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) sent out a press release Friday saying that the fruit fly infestation has been eradicated. A quarantine was declared over an 89 square mile area in July 2010 after the agricultural pest was detected in several traps.
A combination of "male attractant" treatment (using a minute amount of pesticide in a male fruit fly attractant that was applied in small quantities to trees) and the quarantine (which required that whole fruit stay in the quarantine area -- only processed fruit could leave) led to the control and demise of the fly.
“The Oriental fruit fly poses a serious threat to California farming and our backyard gardens as well,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “I would like to thank the residents of Pasadena who helped us eradicate this infestation by complying with the quarantine and cooperating with our crews.”
The "male attractant" treatment has been used by CDFA for over 30 years, and has had a 100 percent success rate in California, according to CDFA.
