Oriental Fruit Fly

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has positively identified the presence of Oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis, in Pinellas County. A quarantine has been established in the St. Petersburg area prohibiting the movement of fruit, vegetables, and nuts without a compliance agreement from the department. State and federal agencies will work with local governments and community organizations to keep the public informed. More information can be found at the department’s website at www.FDACS.gov/OFF, or by calling the Division of Plant Industry Helpline at 1-888-397-1517.

A portion of Los Angeles County has been placed under quarantine for the Oriental Fruit Fly following the detection of 14 flies in the San Fernando Valley in the North Hills area. To prevent the spread of fruit flies through homegrown fruits and vegetables, residents living in the quarantine area are urged not to move those items from their property. However, they may be consumed or processed (i.e., juiced, frozen, cooked, or ground in the garbage disposal) on the property where they were picked or disposed of by double bagging and placing in the regular trash, not green waste. Residents with questions about the project may call CDFA’s Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899. Additional information may be found here: www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/off.

Effective September 30, 2021, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established an Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis or OFF) quarantine in the San Jose area of Santa Clara County, California. This action is in response to the confirmed detections of six adult male OFF from the San Jose area by CDFA between September 13 and September 24, all from traps in various types of fruit trees in residential areas. By October 4, CDFA confirmed the seventh male OFF in the vicinity of the earlier finds, which expanded the quarantine further. The establishment of this quarantine area is reflected on the APHIS website, which contains a description of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas.