The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have eradicated an Oriental fruit fly infestation in the La Verne area of Los Angeles County, Calif. “The Oriental fruit fly poses a serious threat to California farming and our backyard gardens as well,” said CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura. “I would like to thank the residents of Los Angeles County who helped us eradicate this infestation by complying with the quarantine and cooperating with our crews.” An 84 square-mile quarantine was declared and an eradication effort began in July 2009 after four Oriental fruit flies were detected in traps. The eradication program consisted of “male attractant” treatment utilizing a minimal amount of pesticide mixed with male fruit fly attractant and squirted in small quantities on trees. CDFA has been using this technique for more than 30 years and has a 100 percent success rate in California – never failing to eradicate an Oriental fruit fly infestation. The quarantine and eradication have ended, but agricultural officials continue to set and check traps for this as well as many other crop pests in Los Angeles County and throughout the state. Discovering an infestation early, before it can spread over a large area or affect nearby crops, is a key component of a successful eradication effort. The Oriental fruit fly is one of many pests that threaten agriculture and residential gardens in California. As personal travel and commercial shipments increase worldwide, the variety and frequency of pests breaching the California border are also on the rise. The pest can infest over 230 types of fruits and vegetables.

I began trapping the edges of a number of vineyards I consult with in San Benito County, that are adjacent to cherries. I observed , and trapped SWD in both the cherries and grapes. However, I did not find that SWD were attacking sound fruit. With the large amount of rainfall we dealt with on October 15, 2009 , conditions were perfect for bunch rot. Even with this scenario we were lucky enough to avoid heavy rot loss (Botrytis) even where we found SWD.

According to the UCANR site : “A fruit fly that made its first California appearance four years ago in Watsonville  -spotted wing drosophila – can be managed with three basic common-sense techniques.

“It’s going to come down to trapping, monitoring and good sanitation,” Mark Bolda, University of California Cooperative Extension farm adviser in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties, told a group of growers in January, according to an article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

“Last July, Bolda wrote in his Strawberries and Caneberries Blog that spotted wing drosophila had infested cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries in California.”

Detailed background information about spotted wing drosophila is available on the UC Integrated Pest Management Web site.

A number of counties in California are now trapping for this pest using pheromone traps. It is in our best interest that the CDFA trappers are granted access to vineyards to monitor this pest. According to the  Santa Rosa Press Democrat , “The moth, Lobesia botrana, can feed on the flower or the fruit of the grapevine. If the pest attacks mature grape clusters, the berries can become further damaged through infection of botrytis, also known as bunch rot.”

Click here for more information on this new pest threat to grapes

We are seeing large clusters in Coastal California Pinot Noir vineyards. Good set weather in April helped pollination. Crop thinning (“green drop”) is beginning. We suffered from sunburn on some fruit during the 100+ degree heat a few weeks ago, and this gives us a chance to remove it as well. The above photo is a perfect example of sun burnt California Pinot Noir grapes.