CA Pest Prevention

08/06/2026

Did you know invasive fruit fly traps aren't only used in quarantine zones? The California Department of Food and Agriculture, working together with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and county agricultural commissioners, maintains a massive network of more than 63,000 detection traps statewide each year to help protect California's produce.

Proactive trapping provides critical early detection for invasive pests like the Mediterranean, Oriental, Caribbean and Mexican fruit flies, which allows officials to determine when eradication efforts should be implemented.

🔗 Learn more about invasive fruit fly traps at CAFruitFly.com.

08/05/2026

08/04/2026

Meet handler Erik and K-9 Waylon — one of California’s detector dog teams helping protect our state’s agriculture! 🐾

At the recent Organic Produce Summit in Monterey, the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services Agricultural Commissioner’s detector dog team demonstrated how these specially trained dogs identify packages containing fruit, vegetables and plant material that can harbor harmful pests, including invasive fruit flies. These destructive pests threaten California’s agricultural industry, farming livelihoods and even the fruit and vegetables growing in backyard gardens.

Learn more about California’s detector dog teams and their important work across the state: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/dogteams

07/30/2026

Visiting California this summer? Help protect the state's agriculture and backyard gardens by declaring any fruits, vegetables, plants or natural materials you bring with you.

Whether you’re arriving by air, land or sea, even one piece of infested produce can carry hidden pests and plant diseases that can have devastating impacts. The good news: there’s no penalty for declaring.

🍋 What to do:
🚗 🚶Driving or walking into California: Tell agriculture inspectors if you're carrying any fruits, vegetables, plants or natural materials. They’ll let you know what can safely enter.
✈️ 🚢 Arriving from international travel: List agricultural items on your declaration form and show them to customs or agriculture officials when asked.

If you bring it, declare it. Don't Pack a Pest when visiting California. Learn more: StopInvasivePests.com.

07/28/2026

Summer gardening is a great opportunity to get the whole family involved. Kids love learning how plants grow and helping harvest backyard favorites like tomatoes, peppers, strawberries and more.

As you pick produce together, take a moment to check each fruit or vegetable for anything unusual, such as soft spots, tiny holes or signs of insects or fruit fly larvae. A quick look can help protect your garden, your neighborhood and California agriculture from invasive fruit flies.

If you spot anything suspicious, report it to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899. 🪰🌱☀️

07/24/2026

Invasive pests can hitchhike into California through infested fruits and vegetables brought by travelers. These destructive pests can ruin homegrown produce and agriculture statewide.

Whether you’re traveling to California by air, land or sea – Don't Pack a Pest! Please properly dispose of any produce, plants or other natural materials before your trip.

Together, we can keep California free of invasive pests. Learn more at StopInvasivePests.com

07/22/2026

A new Mexican fruit fly quarantine went into effect in June for portions of San Diego County. The 111-square-mile quarantine covers parts of the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, San Diego, Santee, the community of Spring Valley and surrounding areas. These invasive pests can ruin more than 50 types of fruits and vegetables, including those in your backyard garden. Residents are asked to support agriculture officials working in your neighborhood and to report any signs of invasive fruit flies or maggots to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899. 🚫🪰

🎥: 10News – ABC San Diego KGTV

07/20/2026

Please don't ship homegrown produce into California from other states or counties. Invasive pests can hitchhike into California through infested homegrown fruits and veggies sent via mail. These destructive pests can ruin backyard produce in our communities posing devastating risks for California’s agricultural community.

Help protect California agriculture. Please buy produce and plants from local, licensed retailers. Find a retailer near you: https://bit.ly/3I2nseT.

07/16/2026

Fruit removal is one of the ways the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) helps stop invasive fruit flies from spreading during a quarantine.

In San Diego County, a Mexican fruit fly quarantine is currently in place after recent pest detections. As part of the response, ag crews may remove — or “strip” — host fruits and vegetables from trees, plants and the ground within a minimum 100-meter radius of the detection site. This process removes food and breeding sites for the invasive pest at the source. The collected fruit and vegetables are inspected and taken to an approved landfill for deep burial, helping prevent larvae from hatching and spreading.

If you spot invasive fruit flies or maggots, report them to the CDFA Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899.

Visit CAFruitFly.com for more information.

07/15/2026

Planning a summer get-together? Keep the celebration festive and invasive fruit fly-free.

If you live in or near an invasive fruit fly quarantine area, please do not send guests home with fresh, homegrown fruits or vegetables. Even produce that looks healthy can carry hidden pests that may spread to new areas and threaten backyard gardens, farms and California-grown produce.

✨ What can you do instead? Turn your homegrown produce into delicious treats to enjoy! Try:
🍋 Freshly squeezed lemonade
🫐 Homemade fruit popsicles
🍉 Grilled fruit skewers
🍓 Summer fruit jam

Report any signs of invasive fruit flies or maggots you find in your backyard produce to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899. 🚫🪰