Oriental Fruit Fly Cooperative Program — St. Petersburg, Florida

Oriental Fruit Fly Program Pinellas County, June 23, 2022 [ 1 MB ]

From junction of 66th Street and 150th Ave north, Head E on 150th Ave N to 49th Street N, Drop down 49th Street to Ulmerton Road, Head east on Ulmerton Road and connects with Roosevelt to go south, South on 16th Street North, East on 102nd Ave N, South on MLK Jr. Street N, East on 77th Avenue N, South on 4th Street N, East on 62nd Avenue N, South on 1st Street North, W on 9th Avenue N, S on 4th Street N, W on 1st Avenue N,S on 8th Street N becoming 8th Street S, W on 5th Avenue S, S on 9th Street S, W on 10th Avenue S, S on 16th Street S, W on 15th Avenue S, S on 21st Street S, W on 18th Avenue S, S on 22nd Street S, W on 22nd Avenue S turns into Gulfport Blvd S and continue NW, N on Pasadena Ave S, NW on Park Street S, turns into Park Street N, W on Bay Pine Blvd, turns in Seminole Blvd and continue N, E on Ulmerton Road, N on S Belcher Road, E on 142nd Avenue N, N on 66th Street to 150th Avenue N connecting to the starting point.

Quarantine Zone

State and federal agriculture officials are mandated to keep the Oriental fruit fly out of the country. Whenever fruit flies are found in the continental U.S., the pest must be eradicated. A quarantine has been established in the St. Petersburg area of Pinellas County due to the detection of Oriental fruit flies. There are rules for residential and commercial areas.

Residential Properties Within the Quarantine:

•  Do not move fresh fruit or vegetables off your property.
•  Pick up any fallen produce, double bag, tie the bag and dispose of it in your household garbage.

Nursery and Stock Dealers:

• Comply with the exotic fruit fly quarantine requirements for the handling and/or moving of regulated articles.
• Contact 1-888-397-1517 to review and sign a Compliance Agreement.

Treatment will continue within the 1.5-square-mile area around the fly detections. The treatments consist of a bait and insecticide mixture. Flies are killed when they feed on the bait. The treatment may be applied weekly to the upper portion of utility poles and trees. Treatments are applied for a period of two life cycles of the fly (approximately 60 days) past the date of the last detection.

Program Information

The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, is one of the world's most serious exotic fruit flies. The fly infests over 430 different fruits, vegetables and nuts by laying its eggs in the hosts, making them unmarketable. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is working diligently to eradicate this pest.  FDACS and USDA monitor more than 56,000 fruit fly traps statewide as an early detection network against exotic fruit fly introductions that threaten Florida’s agriculture industry. 

The Oriental fruit fly has been detected several times in Florida since 1964, and each time it has been successfully eradicated. The last detection was in Seminole County in August of 2021. This species is considered one of the most serious of the world’s fruit fly pests due to its potential economic harm. 

FDACS has confirmed the detection of Oriental fruit flies in Pinellas County. The initial two flies were discovered on May 17, 2022,  during routine trapping, and two additional flies were discovered on June 14 and 16, during expanded trapping activities encompassing a 113-square mile area. One mated female was captured on June 22. 

Treatments are being conducted in a 1.5-square-mile area around the fly detections. The treatments consist of male annihilation technique (MAT), foliar spot treatment, soil drench treatment and fruit removal.  

MAT treatment uses a bait and insecticide mixture, killing the flies when they feed on the bait. It may be applied weekly to the upper portion of utility poles, trees and other inanimate objects out of the normal reach of people and pets. Treatments are applied for a period of two life cycles of the fly (approximately 60 days) past the date of the last detection. 

Foliar spot treatment uses Spinosad, an insecticide derived from naturally occurring soil organisms and commonly used by organic growers, to spot treat host trees in the area. 

Soil drench is used on the soil under host trees with fruit known or suspected to be infested with larvae, pupae or a mated female fruit fly. Fruit removal is necessary when larva is found in infested fruits or vegetables. Fruit from host trees is removed, placed in double bags and properly disposed of so flies have no host material to lay eggs.  

Additional Information

• Pest Alert [ 2 MB ]
• Treatment Area Map [ 1 MB ]
• Oriental Fruit Fly Host List[ ]