The oriental fruit fly has been eradicated in Orange County, according to a news release from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, USDA and the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner.
The oriental fruit fly is an invasive pest that infests more than 250 types of crops, including citrus and other fruits, nuts and vegetables, when it lays its eggs in the produce to hatch.
The CDFA says it detected an infestation of the oriental fruit fly in November 2024 and subsequently established a quarantine that included portions of counties including: Garden Grove, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Orange, Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach.
During the quarantine, potential host crops for the fruit fly were not allowed to be moved from properties where they were grown, including homegrown produce. CDFA says commercial crops were also required to meet stringent treatment or processing standards before being harvested or moved.
“The diligence and collaboration from Orange County residents proved critical as we worked together — federal, state and local agencies — to eradicate the oriental fruit fly from this area, but our work is not done,” says Victoria Hornbaker, director of CDFA’s Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services Division. “In the last two years, we’ve experienced an unprecedented increase in invasive fruit fly populations throughout the state. These ongoing introductions underscore the importance of public awareness, committed resources and CDFA’s innovative technologies to prevent infestations and optimize response tactics for future detections. By working together, we can keep California free of invasive pests.”
CDFA says that while the quarantine has been lifted in Orange County, the ongoing threat of new infestations by non-native species, invasive fruit flies and other destructive pests remains. CDFA says these pests can endanger the state’s agricultural environment and economy.
To learn more about invasive species, visit cdfa.ca.gov/plant/fruitfly.
