Melon Fruit Fly Quarantine Expected To Expand

Two more melon fruit flies have been discovered, which could mean lengthening the timeframe and boundaries of a quarantined area where six flies were found in August. The quarantine, which initially was delcared August 16, means produce cannot be transported out of an 82-square-mile section of Kern County, unless it meets protocols for treatment and screening.

The flies discovered last weekend were near a bell pepper field, the Kern County Agricultural Commissioner says, which means the duration and area of the qarantine likely will expand. Quarantines typically last seven to nine months after the final pest detection.

Source: FreshPlaza via bakersfield.com