Provided by Dr. Marion Fuller
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)
Report Dated 06/06/98
No more flies were detected Friday, June 5. Total count is steady at 544. As you know, aerial bait treatment has been approved for three applications over an area of about 50 square miles, which, after water bodies, buffered areas, and Snead Island are excluded, results in an actual aerial treatment area of about 40 square miles. Snead Island is excluded because once buffers are applied the remaining area too small to be accurately treated by air - so it will be ground treated (as it was last year). The first treatment will take place Wednesday night, June 10, using two DC3 aircraft. They will fly at an altitude of about 500 feet. A 300 meter buffer will applied to significant water bodies (as designated under previous programs, and through consultation with DEP/Tampa).
As occurs in each program, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFW) and the Florida FWGFC are contacted to determine if endangered/threatened species are at risk. There are no active eagles nests in the area, and no other species or habitats have been identified which require special considerations.
Because applications will be made during the night, Department of Health (DOH) has not designated any sites as "sensitive" which would exclude them from the treatment area. (In contrast, because applications were made during daylight hours in Umatilla, several sites were designated as "sensitive" there. Excluding these areas avoided the possibility of direct deposition to individuals who might be outside as the application was occurring.) NOTE: This is my understanding as of Friday afternoon - however, I may be incorrect. If so, or if there are other changes elsewhere, I'll post the corrections in the next update. Thanks for your understanding...
Environmental monitoring of water bodies will occur, as was done in Umatilla. Samples will be taken before and after each aerial bait treatment. Results of the monitoring will be posted in these updates as they are available.
Newspapers, radio and TV stations will be providing information on the location, time and date of each aerial treatment. As in other programs, FDACS is notifying individuals who are on its registry of persons requiring prior notification of pesticide applications by Pest Control Operators of upcoming treatments at least 24 hours in advance of each application.
Ground treatments will continue on a weekly treatment schedule in the buffered areas. Fruit stripping continues, and has so far resulted in over 65,000 pounds removed from residential properties in the area.
There are 2879 traps in service - 2487 Jackson, 86 McPhail, and 306 panel traps.
Sterile fly release is continuing in the periphery of the treatment area, and will increase over areas to the south, then north - as more flies are available. USDA is expecting the Guatemala rearing facility to increase delivery this coming week to 200 million flies. In another several weeks, they should be up to full production level of 300 million.
Environmental Monitoring: No report
Health Monitoring: No report
No new flies have been detected. Count steady at 1314.
EPA has approved another two treatments, for a total of seven since aerial applications began. That will cover a full life cycle of treatments after the last fly detection on May 19.
4337 traps are in service: 3385 Jackson, 696 panel, 206 McPhail, and 50 IPTs.
Environmental Monitoring: No Report
Health Monitoring: No Report
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