LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Agriculture Officials Set Medfly Quarantine Area
Agriculture officials said Friday they have established a 312-square-mile quarantine area that includes the areas where Mediterranean fruit flies have been found recently in Los Angeles County.
The quarantine is designed to prevent the spread of the potentially devastating Medfly to other areas of the state. People in the quarantine area are urged to cooperate by not removing home-grown food from their property. Deliberate violations can result in fines of up to $10,000.
Commercial growers or produce handlers who operate within the quarantine area must sign agreements stipulating how the produce is to be handled to make sure fruit and vegetables do not become infested with Medflies.
The quarantine area generally covers Griffith Park, Hancock Park, Inglewood, Alhambra, Pasadena and Duarte.
Residents living within the quarantine boundaries who have home-grown fruit and vegetables may consume it on their premises, but it may be moved to other locations only after freezing, canning or cooking.
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