Latest news with #Medfly
USA Today
07-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Millions of sterile fruit flies are being released in California: Here's why.
Millions of sterile fruit flies are being released in California: Here's why. Show Caption Hide Caption What are invasive species and how do they harm ecosystems, biodiversity? Spotted lantern flies, Burmese pythons and Zebra mussels are just some of the invasive species wreaking havoc on ecosystems in the U.S. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY Environmental officials in California's San Francisco Bay and East Bay areas are releasing millions of sterile fruit flies to reduce the number of pests leading to produce decay. The fruit flies will be released in parts of Alameda and Santa Clara counties, the California Department of Food and Agriculture said in an email to USA TODAY on May 7. The sterile fruit flies will be released due to an infestation of the Mediterranean fruit fly, also known as the Medfly, the department said. Calling the Medfly "an invasive pest," the department said the fly threatens over 250 types of produce. The Medfly can damage fruits and vegetables in backyard gardens, as well as agricultural products grown throughout the state. The sterile fruit flies are part of the Sterile Insect Technique, and will disrupt the natural mating cycle of the Medfly, officials said, adding that the sterile flies will mate with wild females, leading to no offspring and reducing the number of Mediterranean fruit flies. The department is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release the flies. "Millions of sterile fruit flies are being released each week by private aircraft and pilots," said Rodney Farol, an agricultural technician with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, in a video about the project. "It's safe, precise, and environmentally-friendly, eliminating MedFlies without harsh chemicals," he added. Where are the flies being released? The sterile fruit flies will be released in two quarantine areas: Alameda and Santa Clara counties. The Mediterranean fruit fly is "one of the most damaging agricultural pests in the world," according to the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, an office within the USDA. The flies can infest fruits, nuts and vegetables, making them inedible. The first among U.S. mainland Medfly infestations was in 1929 in Florida, the service said. The Medfly has been documented in the Mediterranean region, Southern Europe, the Middle East, Western Australia, South and Central America and Hawaii. According to the service, Medfly eggs are white, small and elongated. The larvae, or maggots, feed inside the fruit. Once the Medfly gets to produce, it decays and falls to the ground, while larvae develop and feed on the pulp. According to Farol, from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, residents can do the following during this process: Buy produce and plants only from local, licensed retailers and nurseries Leave homegrown fruits and vegetables where they are Inspect homegrown produce If you see signs of fruit flies or maggots, call the pest hotline at 1-800-491-1899 And the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service said on its website that Californians can prevent the spread of the Medfly by: Only bringing fresh fruits, vegetables, or plants into your state if agricultural inspectors have cleared them first Declaring all agricultural products to U.S. customs officials when returning from international travel Double-bagging fruits and vegetables in plastic bags before throwing them away Residents can learn more at Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Science
- CBS News
California working to eliminate invasive fruit fly in Alameda County
California agricultural officials said they are releasing millions of sterile Mediterranean fruit flies in Alameda County to try to eradicate the pest, first discovered summer 2024. For decades the Medfly has posed a threat to farmers, and politicians, but one expert thinks it may be here to stay. This latest release of sterile Medflies is not the beginning of an infestation, in fact, it may be the end of one. When they were discovered last August in Fremont, it was the first time the bug had been found in Alameda County since 1981. And that was the year that things got pretty crazy. The Medfly, nicknamed "old blue-eyes" for its iridescent color, poses a huge threat to agriculture, laying its eggs inside fruit, making it inedible. But more importantly, it can leave an entire region subject to bans from other states and even foreign countries. So, when more than 100 flies were found in Fremont within six months, it sounded a lot of alarms. "So, in response to that, our protocol is to release sterile male Mediterranean fruit flies at a rate of 250,000 sterile flies per square mile per week," said Dr. Jason Leathers, with the CA Department of Food and Agriculture. "And the idea is that any female Medflies that are in the area will hopefully choose one of the sterile males as her mate. And when she does, it renders her infertile and none of her eggs will hatch. And so, over time, that leads the population to extinction." Dr. Jason Leathers said the Sterile Insect Technique has been pretty successful and is currently used on a year-round basis in Southern California. But before they figured out how to do that, back in 1981 they used a different technique — one that most will never forget. At the time, many compared it to the helicopter attack scene from the movie Apocalypse Now. A squadron of crop-dusting choppers flew in formation, spraying the city of San Jose with a sticky solution of the pesticide, Malathion. Then-governor Jerry Brown initially resisted the spraying, which upset local farmers. "I've got to weigh the health effects, the impact on people," said Brown. But then, under pressure from the federal government, he approved it, which frightened, and angered, everyone else. "We feel like we're just trapped here, and we're going to be sprayed and be living in a sea of Malathion," said one woman. "I could have a 2-pound baby instead of a healthy 7-pound baby," said another. Brown ran for the US Senate the following year and lost; some believe the Medfly controversy was a factor. But despite the uproar, the flights continued, night after night. "And it was even unbelievable to me, actually," said Dr. James Carey, who was studying the Medfly at the time for UC Davis. "I mean, in retrospect, the thought of spraying Malathion, even one time, over millions of people is really something that certainly wouldn't be accepted today." He said, though the spraying was generally successful at knocking down the Medfly infestation, the public outcry convinced the state to give up the practice and focus instead on other strategies like the Sterile Insect Technique. But Dr. Carey said he has his doubts that it can really eradicate a species. "It's very, very difficult. In fact, it's impossible to declare whether flies have been totally eliminated," he said. "It is kind of a whack-a-mole problem right now. You get Medflies here and there and you have to go after them. But pretty soon, there's so many outbreaks every year that the whack-a-mole approach is not going to work." The professor said climate change may also be playing a part in the increase in invasive pest outbreaks. Many of the more damaging insects come from tropical climates and are better able to adapt to California as the average temperatures rise. Dr. Carey believes the Medfly is here to stay, but he said the state can't acknowledge that without its agriculture being quarantined by the rest of the world. So, in August, if no more Medflies are found in Alameda County, the state will consider it officially "eradicated." Until the next time they show up.
