San Marino Area Being Treated for Destructive Fruit Flies

The California Department of Food and Agriculture began treating the San Marino area for Oriental fruit flies Saturday.

"Fruit flies are a serious threat to our state's crops, and also to our environment and our backyard gardens," said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, according to City News Service. "Fortunately, we have a system in place to detect them quickly and take action before they can cause widespread damage."

See a map of the full treatment area including parts of San Marino, South Pasadena, San Gabriel, Temple City, Monterey Park, and Rosemead in the photo and PDF attached to this article.

Treatment began after the CDFA recently found three fruit flies in traps they set up and check periodically, Steve Lyle from the CDFA Office of Public Affairs told Patch.

Every two weeks—for a total of about three to five times—crews will disperse a male fly attractant mixed with a small amount of pesticide over about 20 square miles surrounding the areas where the flies were found.

Male flies are attracted to the mixture and die after consuming it, City News Service reported. 

“It’s not spraying, it’s a squirt gun our crews use and squirt a mix with fruit fly lure at higher elevations so people can’t reach it,” said Lyle, who noted that treatment areas will not be blocked off to the public.

Ross urged Californians who travel abroad not to bring back fruit, vegetables, seeds or other prohibited plant material.

"Every invasive species we can keep out saves our state money, reduces pesticide use and protects our environment and food supply," said Ross.