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Five Oriental Fruit Flies, significant agricultural pests, were discovered in the South Bay area within the last two weeks in the unincorporated Harbor City area and the City of Rolling Hills Estates.
 Click here to download a map of the treatment areas.
The flies were found in traps monitored by the County of Los Angeles Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures (ACWM) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA).
A potential breeding population is indicated by the very limited time and distance between these detections. In response, CDFA will initiate treatments to eradicate male Oriental Fruit Flies in the area.
The treatments will be conducted throughout an area that includes parts of Torrance, Harbor City, Carson, Wilmington, Lomita, Rolling Hills Estates, and Rolling Hills. The treatment method, known as "male annihilation," consists of squirting a small spot of bait onto utility poles, light poles, and streetside tree trunks at a height of six to eight feet. Male Oriental Fruit Flies feed on the bait and are killed by the small amount of Naled pesticide in the bait. Approximately 600 applications will be made in each square mile and repeated every two weeks for at least six applications.
The application process will present no inconveniences to residents. Such treatments have proven highly successful in past instances of exotic fruit fly infestations and are designed to prevent the invasive pest from spreading and destroying commercial crops and home-grown fruits and vegetables. No aerial treatments are planned.
Oriental Fruit Fly is one of the world's most destructive insect pests. Mated female flies pierce the skins of hundreds of different fruits and vegetables and deposit eggs. Once maggots hatch, they feed on the flesh of the fruits and vegetables, rendering them unfit for consumption. Originating from Southeast Asia, the Oriental Fruit Fly is now found in Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, but is not native to California.
Residents with any questions or concerns may contact CDFA at (818) 901-0719.
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