Los Angeles environmental officials are battling with an invasion of species, and one solution will be the release of 2 million-plus sterile male Mediterranean fruit flies.
Following the discovery of two wild flies—flies that can infest fruits and vegetables by laying eggs inside them and leading to the hatching of maggots, the California Department of Food and Agriculture was prompted to establish a 69-square-mile quarantine area bounded between Melrose Avenue and West Century Boulevard, between Nevin Avenue and the San Diego (405) Freeway, KTVU News reported.
To combat the problem, the department plans to release the millions of sterile male Medflies in a 69-square-mile quarantine area covering parts of Central L.A., Culver City, and South L.A., CBS News reported. The quarantine affects growers, wholesalers, and retailers of susceptible fruit in the impacted areas, as well as local residents. The CDFA has also strongly recommended that home gardeners consume homegrown produce on-site and not move it from their property.
The department also plans to spray a natural pesticide on the properties 200 meters away from Medfly detections in an effort to rid of any mated female pets and reduce the density of the species’ population. Fruit will also be removed within 100 meters of larval detections as well as areas where multiple adult flies have been detected.
The CDFA said that the Medfly go after 250 types of fruits and vegetables and also spoil fruits by laying eggs that turn into maggots inside them.
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