Invasive Fruit Fly Quarantines
According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, California is experiencing an unusually high number of invasive fruit fly detections this season. To eradicate and prevent the statewide spread of the fruit flies, the CDFA, U.S. Department of Agriculture and County Agricultural Commissioners have initiated local regulatory measures.
Quarantines are currently in place for the Oriental fruit fly and Queensland fruit fly in California avocado growing regions.
- Oriental fruit fly: Contra Costa, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino and Santa Clara Counties
- Queensland fruit fly: Los Angeles and Ventura Counties
California avocado growers are encouraged to check the quarantine maps to see if their operations are located within the quarantine zones. The maps can be accessed on the CDFA pages listed below.
- Queensland fruit fly information page and quarantine map
- Oriental fruit fly information page and quarantine map
If an operation is located within a quarantine zone, growers must contact the persons listed below to obtain a compliance agreement prior to harvest to ensure they do not run the risk of having their fruit rejected.
Queensland fruit fly
Tim Spears: 805.746.6442
Chris Ward: 805.444.7897
Oriental fruit fly
Vince Arellano: 951.205.0484
The California Avocado Commission will continue to work with USDA and CDFA on these fruit fly quarantines to ensure the harvest and transportation of fruit from within quarantine areas maintains the necessary safeguards to prevent the spread of the fruit fly while not creating unnecessary burdens on commercial avocado production.
CAC also will continue to work with USDA to have GEM and Lamb-Hass removed as hosts for these fruit flies. However, for the time being these two varieties will require treatments and growers will need to work with CDFA on the specific treatments.
