Country: United States

Title:

APHIS Expands and Establishes Fruit Fly Quarantines in California (OPR-39)

Contact:
Catherine Marzolf, National Policy Manager, 386-666-9932 or catherine.a.marzolf@usda.gov

Report:

On September 15 and September 23, 2025, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the Santa Clara Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in Santa Clara County, California. Additionally, on September 19, APHIS and CDFA established an Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis; OFF) quarantine in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, California, designated the Jurupa Valley quarantine.

On September 15, APHIS and CDFA expanded the Santa Clara Medfly quarantine in response to the confirmed detection on September 2 of one wild female Medfly from a trap in an orange tree on a residential property in the city of San Jose. This action expanded the quarantine by 11 square miles and included seven acres of commercial agriculture. On September 23, APHIS and CDFA further expanded the Santa Clara Medfly quarantine in response to the confirmed detection on September 5 of one wild male Medfly from a trap in a pear tree on a residential property in the city of San Jose. This action expanded the quarantine by 40 square miles and included 14 acres of commercial agriculture. The amended quarantine encompasses 169 square miles with 43 acres of commercial agriculture, including grape, oranges, pepper, stone fruit, and tomato.

On September 19, APHIS and CDFA established the Jurupa Valley quarantine following the confirmed detections of six male OFF in traps at four different locations, including three residential properties and one commercial winery. The quarantine encompasses 131 square miles with 10 acres of commercial grape production.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of fruit flies to non-infested areas of the United States, as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS is working with CDFA and the Agricultural Commissioners of Riverside, San Bernardino, and Santa Clara Counties to respond to these detections following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.

The APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies website contains descriptions and maps of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register.

Under IPPC standards, Ceratitis capitata and Bactrocera dorsalis are transient pests under eradication that are present only in some areas in California. These species are not widely distributed and are under official control in the United States.

Posted Date: Nov. 25, 2025, 11:46 a.m.