Because of the discovery of six oriental fruit flies, a quarantine for homegrown fruits and vegetables has been imposed on about 100 square miles of Santa Clara Valley.
The quarantine, announced Tuesday by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, extends from Los Gatos to the east foothills and from Penitencia Creek to Almaden. It is shown in orange on the map above.
Residents in that area are advised not to transport homegrown fruits or vegetables beyond their property. Produce that must be disposed of should be double-bagged and tied off, then placed in the regular trash bin rather than a yard waste bin.
Processed products — juiced, cooked, frozen — are exempt from the restriction.
Pesticides will be applied in parts of the quarantine area, targeting the male fruit flies.
The six flies were found near the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.
Oriental fruit flies — a little larger than a housefly, with distinctive bright yellow coloring — damage fruits and vegetables when the female lays her eggs inside them and they hatch into maggots.
The quarantine will be lifted when no additional oriental fruit flies are found for three life cycles following the last detection. The life cycle is dependent on temperature. Generally, from egg to adult takes about 20 days, and a female can lay eggs at 30 days.
The full list of affected fruits and vegetables is included in the document below.
More information on the bug and the quarantine can be found at the agriculture agency’s site. The pest hotline is (800) 491-1899.
The agency’s interactive map allows users to type in an address to determine if it’s in the quarantine area.