Oriental Fruit Fly Threat Over for Now in One Part of Southern California

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), in partnership with USDA and the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner, has declared an end to the Oriental fruit fly quarantine in Orange County following the eradication of the invasive pest.

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. Officials detected an infestation of the pest in November 2024 and established a quarantine that ultimately included portions of Garden Grove, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Orange, Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach to support eradication efforts.

During the quarantine, potential host crops for the fruit fly were not allowed to be moved from properties where they were grown. Commercial crops were also required to meet stringent treatment or processing standards before being harvested or moved.

While Orange County’s Oriental fruit fly quarantine has been lifted, the ongoing threat of new infestations by non-native species remains.

To learn more about Oriental fruit fly and other fruit fly quarantines in California, visit cdfa.ca.gov/plant/fruitfly.