Information Received from
Dr. Marion Fuller
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FLDACS)

One female Mediterranean fruit fly, not mated, was picked up in a sour orange tree, adjacent to a commercial grove in Umatilla, Florida. No details yet on the adjacent grove, but it is believed to be one previously frozen out. FLDACS does not know if it is in active management/production at this time - however, there is active commercial production in the vicinity.

At this point, with a single fly, the response is to increase trapping density in the area. If no more flies are found, no chemical application will be needed. Additional flies will trigger consideration for chemical application. Previous chemical applications have been a malathion bait mixture. EPA has urged the consideration of SureDye - a drug/cosmetic dye used in lipsticks, peptobismol.

As opposed to the Miami Springs, FL find, this site is not near an international airport. Nor is it a backyard host tree. The origin of fly is unknown, a DNA test will be run to help establish that.

There is a citrus packing or juice plant (Golden Gem) 1-2 miles from the site. Efforts are underway to determine groves supplying the facility, as they may represent a possible source.