Removal of Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine Area in Covina, Los Angeles Co., CA

 

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2016-07

January 7, 2016

 

Subject: Removal of Oriental Fruit Fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) Quarantine Area in Covina, Los Angeles County, California

To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective December 7, 2015, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) removed the Covina area of Los Angeles County as an Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantine area.

On August 3, 2015, APHIS implemented the OFF quarantine in the Covina area of Los Angeles County, California. The quarantine restricted the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area to prevent the spread of the Oriental fruit fly to noninfested areas of the United States. Since then, APHIS cooperated with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Los Angeles County Agriculture Commissioner’s office to eradicate the transient OFF population. Control actions included high density trapping, fruit removal, eradication control measures, regulatory quarantine activities, and foliar bait sprays near the detection sites.

Eradication was concluded after sufficient time passed without finding additional OFF flies in this area. The following designated website contains a description of the remaining federal fruit fly quarantine areas:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff-quarantine

For additional information on the removal of the Oriental fruit fly quarantine area, you may call Fruit Fly Program Manager John Stewart at 919-855-7426.

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine