Countywide : Supervisors Praise Fruit Fly Warnings

Ventura County supervisors have praised local members of the statewide Exotic Fruit Fly Coalition for their efforts to educate the public about the potential for a fruit fly invasion this summer.

Board Chairman John K. Flynn said the supervisors support the coalition’s efforts to develop alternate eradication methods to aerial spraying of the pesticide malathion and to inform the public that spraying could occur during a serious infestation.

“We praise them for being proactive on education efforts rather than waiting until we are in a full crisis,” Flynn said at Tuesday’s meeting.

Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner Earl McPhail told the board that county growers prefer to use biological means to control the pests by releasing sterile male flies to mate with fertile female flies.

The state has a good supply of sterile male Mediterranean fruit flies, McPhail said. But a new facility must be built, probably in Mexico, to breed sterile male Mexican fruit flies, which also can harm the county’s valuable citrus and other crops.

McPhail said he is working to secure $500,000 in Gov. Pete Wilson’s budget to add to farm industry contributions toward building the new facility.

“I will come back to your board to ask for support for this when more details are available,” he said.