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Date Posted: 16:34:39 01/17/02 Thu
Author: Marlene
Author Host/IP: 64.24.185.62
Subject: Ah yes, the Mediteranean Fruit Fly
In reply to: Kris 's message, "Yes, let me know" on 06:44:03 01/17/02 Thu

In the 80's California was under siege (according to the government) by the Mediteranean Fruit Fly. California is very much an agricultural state of great diversity and any threat to that is taken *very* seriously.
The Dept. of Agriculture randomly placed traps in the trees of property owners, everyone was supposed to strip any fruits from trees, bushes, vines (lots of wine grapes around here) and it went on for a few years.
The big controversy was the spraying - I'm pretty sure it was malathion and it was sprayed by helicopters, flying very low over much of California. They told us to bring in pets and their dishes and as I remember they did it 3 times.
You could go outside and see the residue after the spraying. You would find sticky little droplets about as big as this "0" on the patio furniture and cars. I think the malathion was mixed into something sweet to attract the fruit flies or their larvae.
The only consequence *I* can remember were some complaints about it damaging car paint and Viet Nam vets having flashbacks from the sounds of the helicopters flying os low over homes. (Now *that* was scary!)

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