Fruit flies found in Pinellas County

Two male oriental fruit flies were found earlier this month in a grapefruit tree trap in the Gulf Coast community of Safety Harbor, Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said.

Raymond D. Royce, executive director of Highlands County Citrus Growers Association, is concerned, but he doesn't see it as a problem for Highlands County at this moment.

"When they find something like that in sentinel trees, they normally do some spraying," Royce said.

Bronson agreed: "This is a disturbing find because of the extreme risks associated with exotic fruit fly infestations. However, it is a clear indication that our fruit fly detection and monitoring program is working well and, fortunately, we have developed effective emergency response plans that in most cases allow us to quickly eradicate these dangerous pests. The state, along with our federal partner, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is pouring all available resources to address the fruit fly find in Pinellas County."

The agriculture commission considers the Oriental fruit fly one of the most serious of the world's fruit fly pests, due to its potential economic harm. It attacks more than 100 different fruits, vegetables and nuts, including citrus, apples, guava, mango, tomatoes and peppers.

Fruit flies lay their eggs in the fruits and vegetables. In a few weeks, the larvae or maggots hatch, and the fruits or vegetables are inedible.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has launched an intensified trapping program in an 81-square-mile area surrounding the fruit fly find in Pinellas County until mid-December.

If more flies are found, the trapping will continue and an insecticide will be applied to telephone poles, along with a substance that attracts the flies. As of this date, no additional flies have been found.

Also this week, Bronson announced that the Mediterranean fruit fly has been eradicated in Palm Beach County. Regulations have been lifted and fruit movement is no longer prohibited. Eradication is achieved when three 20-day life cycles have passed without finding another wild Medfly.

"This is one of the fastest eradication programs on record in Florida, and the credit goes to the outstanding efforts of our Incident Command Team and the fact that the citizens there were extremely cooperative. This was the first major Medfly outbreak since the nine-county $32 million eradication program in 1997 and 1998."

More info: the USDA's anti-smuggling hotline, 800-877-3835 or www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/exoticfruitflies.html.

For More info:

Call the USDA's anti-smuggling hotline, 800-877-3835 or www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/exoticfruitflies.html.