USDA, CDFA reports California free of invasive fruit flies

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and county agricultural commissioners say all populations of invasive fruit flies have been eradicated in California.

The joint addressed infestations from five introduced species: Oriental (Bactrocera dorsalis), Tau (Zeugodacus tau), Queensland (Bactrocera tryoni), Mexican (Anastrepha ludens) and Mediterranean (Ceratitis capitata) fruit flies.

The USDA said the invasive fly outbreak in 2023 was unprecedented, the worst of its kind in the CDFA’s 100-year history. This included the first quarantines for Tau and Queensland fruit flies in the U.S. and Western Hemisphere.

In response, Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack allocated $103.5 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for swift action against the outbreak. APHIS, CDFA and agriculture commissioners trapped, removed fruit and surveyed activities, according to a news release. The USDA said it released sterile Mediterranean and Mexican fruit flies to disrupt the reproduction of the invasive fruit flies. The USDA also applied spinosad to at-risk areas and developed new regulatory treatments to allow the safe shipment of commercial citrus fruit from quarantined areas.

“Invasive fruit flies are among the most destructive and costly pests globally, threatening more than 400 species of fruits and vegetables, including many of California’s most valuable crops such as oranges, grapes, mangoes, blueberries, and tomatoes,” Jenny Moffitt, USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, said in the release. “The eradication of these pests marks a major victory for California’s agricultural economy.”

Quarantines have been lifted from Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernadino, Santa Clara, San Diego, Riverside and Ventura counties.

“We are proud of what we have accomplished with the help of California residents,” said Karen Ross, CDFA secretary. “Your support was vital to eradicating these pests and remains essential in protecting our food supply and natural resources from future invasive threats.”

Source: The Packer