Texas quarantine lifted as California fruit fly restrictions expand

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has lifted a Mexican fruit fly quarantine in Texas while expanding a Mediterranean fruit fly one in California. The measures have created a mixed regulatory picture for growers as winter produce movement ramps up.

APHIS and the Texas Department of Agriculture ended the Harlingen Mexfly quarantine in Cameron County on November 20, releasing roughly 72 square miles, including about 790 acres of commercial citrus, from restrictions. 

The agency says the three-generation fruit fly release requirement—calculated using a degree-day model—had been met following the last detection.

Meanwhile, APHIS and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the Santa Clara medfly quarantine on November 13, following multiple confirmed detections in residential areas of San Jose.

The expansion adds 19 square miles and nearly 15 acres of commercial farmland, primarily devoted to crops such as grapes, olives, oranges, peppers, stone fruit, and tomatoes. APHIS also revised reported acreage within the quarantine, reducing the commercial agriculture area by just over three acres.

A tale of two fruit fly fronts

APHIS says it restricted the interstate movement of regulated articles during the Harlingen response to prevent Mexfly from spreading to non-infested areas. The entity is working with Texas officials to eradicate what it described as a “transient” Mexfly population through standard control actions.

In California, APHIS says it is applying safeguarding measures and interstate movement restrictions to prevent the flies from infesting foreign trade shipments. 

According to the agency, detections on October 24 included “one wild mated female Medfly from a trap in a persimmon tree, and one unmated female Medfly in a fig tree”. Another detection, carried out on November 5, was also of an unmated female specimen. All detections occurred in residential properties.

The amended Santa Clara quarantine now covers 224 square miles, with about 59 acres of commercial agricultural area.

APHIS notes that both changes will appear in the Federal Register. Current federal fruit fly quarantine maps and descriptions are available on the Exotic Fruit Flies website.

*All photos courtesy of the CDFA.

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