The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the detection of Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) in the Escondido area of San Diego County, California. APHIS is designating portions of San Diego County as Mexfly quarantine areas and is applying restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area. These actions are necessary to prevent the spread of Mexfly to noninfested areas of the United States.
On November 6, 2007, five unmated, immature female Mexflies were detected on two separate residential properties in the Escondido area. These detections triggered the initiation of this quarantine. The quarantine boundary encompasses approximately 79-square-miles of San Diego County. This is mostly a residential area, but there is some commercial host production of avocados and citrus in the quarantine area. Fruit fly traps are being deployed at protocol levels to conduct a delimitation survey surrounding the detection sites. Spinosad foliar bait spray treatments are being applied to all host trees within 200 meters of the detection sites at 7 to 10 day intervals. The release of sterile male Mexflies is occuring in a 9.23 square-mile area surrounding the detection sites at a release rate of 250,000 sterile male Mexflies per square mile per week. The weekly release of sterile Mexflies will continue through two projected Mexfly life cycles in the Escondido area.
This action is effective immediately.
Under IPPC standards, Anastrepha ludens is considered to be a pest that is transient, actionable, and under eradication in the United States.