Provided by Dr. Marion Fuller
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)
Report Dated 05/22/98
A single Medfly was picked up today, across the Manatee River, in Palmetto. In addition, 53 flies were trapped yesterday in Bradenton, 51 of them in a single Jackson trap. In response to the detections reported to you yesterday, the treatment area (core) was expanded to seven square miles. I expect it will be expanded again to capture the area across the river, but at this time, traps are still being read. Total Medfly count at this point is 428, with today's count not included (outside that single fly in Palmetto).
As usual, and in accordance with the existing approval from EPA, ground treatment will begin in Palmetto, in a 200 meter radius around the find. Property owners will be contacted and provided a 24-hour advance notification of our intent to treat. As before, the property owners have the option to waive the 24-hour advance, and allow treatment immediately. Traps are being increased to a minimum of 100/square mile around this detection. (They were already increased over "background level" according to protocols in response to the finds in Bradenton.)
Also, the regulated (quarantine) area was expanded to 41 square miles, in response to yesterday's finds. It will be expanded again, in response to the Palmetto find, but I do not have details yet. (Again, we need to see the count and distribution of other finds (if any) in the traps now being read.
The number of traps (as of yesterday) in place were up to 2,263: 1926 Jacksons, 225 yellow panels, and 112 McPhails.
Environmental Monitoring - No report
Health Monitoring - No report
Department representatives met with members of SCRAM Wednesday evening. SCRAM continues to oppose the use of any malathion, and has actively canvassed home owners in the treatment area not to allow bait application on their property. Unfortunately, this can make our job more difficult, and work against both SCRAM and FDACS/USDA. If too many properties are missed, we run the risk that ground bait applications will not be able to decrease the existing population, which is needed before initiation of a sterile release program.
The Medfly count here is stable at 1314.
Aerial bait treatment is scheduled for tomorrow morning - with three helicopters. They'll begin at first light, and should complete the application by about 1:00 --- provided weather and machinery are cooperative.
Environmental Monitoring - Pre application samples were taken today, results from these and the post application samples will be reported out next week.
Health Monitoring - No additional health related calls have come in.
FDACS - Division of Plant Industy:
Mediterranean fruit fly information
USDA APHIS: Mediterranean fruit fly information
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet ENY-809:
The Mediterranean Fruit Fly
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet ENY-626:
Mediterranean Fruit Fly: What Floridians Need To Know