Officials continue search for melon fruit fly source

Discovery of pests prompts quarantine on 82 square miles

By CECILIA PARSONS

For the Capital Press

While state and county agriculture inspectors continue to seek the source of the melon fruit fly infestation in southern Kern County, two more of the agricultural pests have been trapped.

Kern County Agricultural Commissioner Ruben Arroyo said that the flies were trapped 1.5 miles south of the original find near Mettler. That find, on Aug. 16, triggered an 82-square-mile quarantine that restricts movement of plants that are hosts of the melon fruit fly. The pest, which is found in Hawaii, Southeast Asia and Africa, lays eggs on the fruit of host plants. When the larvae emerge, they eat and destroy the fruit.

The new find did not set off any plant removal, Arroyo said, because the flies were trapped in an area that has open fields and vineyards that are not hosts.

The original find led to fruit being stripped from plants within 200 meters of the trap. That included a field of jalapeño peppers which were being harvested.

An investigative branch of the USDA has been working determine the source of the infestation and officials are interviewing nearby residents. Arroyo confirmed that part of the investigation includes a residence whose occupants sell fruit at flea markets and farmers' markets. That person, Arroyo said, may have been bringing fruit and vegetables to the area from Los Angeles. However, there is no current melon fruit fly infestation there.

The extension of the quarantine means that more growers will be required to sign compliance agreements before they ship host fruits from the area. That includes completion of a 30-day spray protocol if the fruit is not going to a processor. Other restrictions include tarping loads. The quarantine will also be extended until next June.