Local News in Brief : ‘Epicenter’ for Medfly
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A Reseda neighborhood may be the “epicenter” of the central San Fernando Valley’s Mediterranean fruit fly infestation, prompting stepped up inspections and the possibility of additional ground spraying in the area, state and county agricultural officials said Monday.
A sixth fruit fly was trapped late Sunday afternoon on a back yard citrus tree in the 7300 block of Darby Place, the same site where the fifth fly was discovered Saturday and only three blocks from where the third fly was found.
If inspectors find additional flies, more of the pesticide malathion will be sprayed on the ground surrounding the site to kill pupae hatching in the dirt, officials said.
The state and county war on Medflies opens a new front today with the release of 4 million sterile male fruit flies. The sterile flies mate with produce-destroying females, preventing them from reproducing.
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