Californian agriculture officials are trying prevent the destruction of tens of billions of dollars in the Santa Clara County crops. Everything from grapes and avocados to citrus fruits and vegetables are threatened by the oriental fruit fly. On Saturday, crews started working to eradicate the pests before its numbers get out of control.
Officials believe someone either carried infested fruit into the state and county from another location or the infested fruit was mailed to them. The oriental fruit fly is native to Asia and has been known to infest more than 230 different types of fruits and vegetables.
Growing numbers of the fly have been located in an area that includes parts of Cupertino, Sunnyvale, San Jose and Santa Clara. The California Department of Food and Agriculture began treating those areas on Saturday morning. They’re putting bait on trees and utility poles.
Source: nbcbayarea.com