5 Oriental Fruit Flies Found in 2 Areas of City

Five Oriental fruit flies were found in two city neighborhoods this month, officials said Friday.

County officials were evaluating the need for a quarantine, which could cost local growers millions of dollars. Crews had begun applying bait and pesticide to utility poles in the hopes of killing any male flies.

The yellow-striped insect, slightly larger than a common housefly, attacks hundreds of fruits, including apples, avocados, bananas, tomatoes and lemons.

A quarantine would restrict produce only in the urban areas where the flies were found. Officials are concerned, however, that other countries could restrict imports from a larger countywide area.