Topline:
A year-long fruit fly quarantine in Santa Clarita comes to an end, but officials say there’s more work to be done.
Fruit fly native to Asia: An invasive species known as the Tau fruit fly was found near Santa Clarita last July, prompting a quarantine of the area. This was the first time the pest led to a quarantine in the Western hemisphere. Over 300 varieties of crops were kept from being harvested or moved without first meeting strict treatment standards.
Last week, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) lifted the quarantine.
What now? Four similar quarantines remain in place across California.
Quarantines targeting the Mediterranean and Queensland fruit flies may still affect some Angelenos. Residents in parts of Riverside and San Bernardino County also face an Oriental fruit fly quarantine.
California residents can learn more about the quarantines in place by visiting CAFruitFly.com.
How you can help: With the summer travel season in full swing, officials warn against bringing fruits or vegetables back home. Those living in a quarantine zone should also refrain from moving produce from their property. And, when disposing of fruits and vegetables in these zones, officials ask that they be double-bagged and thrown away in the normal garbage bin, rather than composted.
Residents trying (successfully or not) to grow their own produce should buy plants locally and check their gardens for pests.
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