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Parts of Orange County under fruit fly quarantine

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Published  November 7, 2024 1:06pm PST
Orange County
FOX 11

The Brief

    • 87-square-miles of Garden Grove and Santa Ana are under a fruit fly quarantine.
    • The oriental fruit fly is known to target over 230 different fruit, vegetable, and plant commodities.
    • The invasive species is widespread throughout much of the mainland of southern Asia and neighboring islands.

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - A fruit fly quarantine has been declared for parts of Orange County including Garden Grove and Santa Ana, the California Department of Food and Agriculture announced Thursday. 

The quarantine covers 87-square-miles bordered on the north by Anaheim; on the south by John Wayne Airport; on the west by Huntington Beach; and on the east by State Highway 55. 

This comes after eight oriental fruit flies were detected in the two cities.

>> Tap or click here for a map of the quarantine zone <<

To prevent the spread of oriental fruit flies through homegrown fruits and vegetables, residents living in the quarantine area are urged not to move those items from their property. However, they may be consumed or processed (i.e., juiced, frozen, cooked, or ground in the garbage disposal) on the property where they were picked or disposed of by double bagging and placing in the regular trash, not green waste.

The oriental fruit fly is known to target over 230 different fruit, vegetable, and plant commodities, putting important California crops like stone fruits, citrus, dates, avocados, and many vegetables at risk after female fruit flies lay eggs inside. 

The oriental fruit fly is widespread throughout much of the mainland of southern Asia and neighboring islands, including Sri Lanka and Taiwan, and it has invaded other areas, most notably Africa and Hawaii.

Residents with questions about the project may call CDFA’s Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899. Additional information may be found here: www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/fruitfly.