The detection of specimens of the so-called Oriental Fly of the fruit in crops of the county of Miami-Dade has alerted the agricultural authorities, who fear the destructive effect of this pest, reported today a local media.
During a routine inspection of pest traps, experts from the Department of Agriculture found in fruit crops in Miami-Dade County (southeast Florida) a copy of the eastern fly last Friday and two others on Sunday, picked up the Local 10 News channel .
The Oriental Fruit Fly is a threat to many of the fruits that are grown in South Florida, so the agricultural authorities closely monitor its appearance.
“The Oriental Fruit Fly is a devastating agricultural pest,” said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who then sent messages of confidence to growers: “It’s not good news for Miami’s agricultural industry. Dade, but we are committed to protecting this vital part of our economy. ”
The agricultural industry of Miami-Dade County has a value of about 2,000 million dollars.
Experts from the Department of Agriculture have launched a trap placement plan in the affected area of ​​the Redlands neighborhood, in the aforementioned county.
Putnam explained that “flies die when they eat the bait placed on the top of electricity poles and other objects” and that the priority is to find out “if there is evidence of a breeding population that would indicate the presence of a female with eggs” .
The Eastern Fly plague has been detected in Florida on multiple occasions since 1964 and has always been successfully eradicated.
This is one of the most important pests in the world for the damage it causes to more than 400 species of fruits and vegetables in which it can be housed.
It is native to Southeast Asia, but since 1945 it was established on the Island of Hawaii and, according to official reports from APHIS / USDA, on June 22 was detected in Santa Clara, California.
