07/20/98 - Sebring Mediterranean Fruit Fly Update - DACS

Provided by Dr. Marion Fuller
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)

Report Dated 07/20/98

Sebring

The fly count as of yesterday is 114 since the initial find on July 9th. No expansion of the treatment area has been required so far.

There are 2.488 traps deployed in a 137 square mile survey area (this is the area of higher density traps used to delineate the infestation, and monitor treatment): 2027 Jackson, 445 yellow panels, and 176 McPhail traps.

The next treatment will likely take place in 7-10 days, with Saturday morning the preferred day, weather permitting. For those of you that are new - we prefer to do daytime treatments on weekends, when fewer people are out and about in the earliest part of the day. By targetting Saturday morning, we still have a second opportunity if weather or other conditions preclude the Saturday application. Again, the objective is minimize unnecessary exposures to the extent practicable.

Environmental Monitoring:
Analyses pending

Health Monitoring:
The Highlands Co Health Department Hotline received 28 calls on Saturday - none of these were reporting health effects.

The FDACS Helpline recieved 67 calls during the treatment period, most of these were informational in nature.

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


The UF/IFAS Pest Alert WWW site is at: http://pestalert.ifas.ufl.edu/