Provided by Dr. Marion Fuller
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)
Report Dated 05/14/98
Treatment: USDA received approval from EPA last night to begin ground bait application in the infested area. The application rates are 2.4 oz malathion in 9.6 oz bait per acre. Approval includes the use of diazinon as a soil drench (1.8 oz a.i. per 1000 sq.ft) within the drip drip line (area under the tree canopy) of any tree where larvae are discovered (same as previous approvals). Any treatments needed in sensitive congregate areas (eg schools, hospitals) will not be made unless the site manager has been notified, and will made after normal operating hours; also, USDA will be taking vegetation samples from these areas to ensure treatment is made only to host materials. (Recall that this is not a broadcast treatment - only the underside of the canopy/trunk area of trees are treated.)
The public meeting will be held at the Manatee High School in Bradenton, at 2:00 pm Saturday afternoon.
The United States Fish & Wildlife Service has determined that there are no endangered/threatened species that would be affected by this treatment modality.
Several agencies have received calls from citizens in Tampa, Sarasota and Bradenton who oppose any use of malathion. Most, if not all of these callers, prefer the use of sterile flies in lieu of chemical controls. The Commissioner has announced that we will be releasing sterile flies at the Manatee - Hillsborough County boarder as a "firewall" in hopes of preventing movement from the affected area into Tampa. I will provide more information on that as I learn more. Steriles may also be used in conjunction with the ground bait treatments in Bradenton, again, provided numbers are sufficient. There are many factors to consider - availability of flies, resources, size and number of areas to be treated, etc.
We are also getting calls from growers in Manatee county - who are concerned about their ability to harvest/ship fruit. Sterile fly release will keep the affected area under quarantine for a longer period of time than chemical treatment, hence their concern. Recall that the quarantine area is larger than the treatment area - though at this point, I am not certain if it includes any commercial agriculture.
I will provide sampling results as the other agencies provide them to me. None to report today.
Aerial treatment is scheduled for Sat/Sun, weather permitting. Treatments will begin at first light. Duration is weather dependent.
No additional monitoring data to report today.
I will be back in the field tomorrow, so I may not be able to get an Update out Friday or Saturday. I will have something for you Sunday.
FDACS - Division of Plant Industy:
Mediterranean fruit fly information
USDA APHIS: Mediterranean fruit fly information
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet ENY-809:
The Mediterranean Fruit Fly
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet ENY-626:
Mediterranean Fruit Fly: What Floridians Need To Know