Agriculture Pest Targeted In Southern California

Agriculture officials are targeting crop-destroying Oriental fruit flies in Southern California’s Santa Clarita Valley.

Mature Oriental fruit flies were discovered on Sept. 18 and Sept. 19 in various valley locations 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

County agriculture commissioner Kurt Floren says in a letter to the Board of Supervisors that a California Department of Food and Agriculture eradication effort involves squirting pesticide in trees within a 16-square-mile target zone.

There are 600 bait stations in each square mile.

The bait treatments began Sept. 21 and are continuing every two weeks through December.