Source: California Grape and Tree Fruit League
An eradication of Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) in the Stockton area of San Joaquin County was announced recently, ending a 118-square-mile quarantine that began late last year. OFF is known to target more than 230 different fruit, vegetable and plant commodities.
Damage occurs when the female lays eggs inside the fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots and tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it unfit for consumption. While fruit flies and other pests that threaten California’s crops and natural environment are sometimes detected in agricultural areas, the vast majority are found in urban and suburban communities.
The most common pathway for these pests to enter the state is by “hitchhiking” in fruits and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions around the world. OFF is found in much of Southern Asia, as well as neighboring islands like Sri Lanka and Taiwan.