Speakers<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/8-18-26-CDFA-Invasive-Pests-speakers.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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- Victoria Hornbaker<\/b>, CDFA Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services Director<\/li>\n
- Abraham Lopez-Zuniga<\/b>, CDFA Emergency Response Team Lead<\/li>\n
- Jordan Petersen<\/b>, Los Angeles County Deputy Agricultural Commissioner\/Sealer<\/li>\n
- Huong Dang<\/b>, Orange County Agricultural Commissioner\u2019s Office<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nUnlike native insects, invasive fruit flies such as the Mediterranean, Mexican and Oriental fruit fly have no natural predators in California. They can damage more than 250 types of produce from the inside out, putting at risk a state that grows more than 400 commodity crops, including over three-quarters of the nation\u2019s fruits and nuts and one-third of its vegetables.<\/p>\n
California faced the largest invasive fruit fly outbreak in the century-long history of the California Department of Food and Agriculture in 2023, when seven quarantines were active at the same time. Though several infestations have since been eradicated, officials say the threat remains serious.<\/p>\n
Two Mexican fruit fly quarantines are still active across roughly 111 square miles in San Diego County, even as at least two other quarantined infestations have been eradicated this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are winning,\u201d said Victoria Hornbaker. \u201cThey continue to come at us, but between the CDFA, the USDA and the counties, we continue to eradicate those fruit flies.\u201d<\/p>\n
How Pests Enter California<\/h4>\n
Officials said invasive fruit flies most often enter California through three routes: travelers carrying fruit or plants in luggage, purchases from unverified online marketplaces and produce shipped from other states or countries, including fruit sent by relatives and friends from home gardens.<\/p>\n
Hornbaker said California\u2019s strategy is built around prevention. The state operates a network of inspectors, more than 100,000 traps and 16 border protection stations along the Oregon, Arizona and Nevada lines.<\/p>\n
At airports and the California-Mexico border, CDFA also works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s \u201cBeagle Brigade,\u201d a team of detector dogs and handlers trained to screen luggage for fruit and plant material.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf fruit flies become established in California, it\u2019s going to be devastating to California\u2019s agriculture and can have irreversible impacts to our home gardens \u2026 We\u2019re not just talking about protecting commercial agriculture,\u201d Hornbaker said.<\/p>\n
She warned that a permanent infestation could mean higher grocery bills and less access to fresh produce for families across the state.<\/p>\n
Invasive pests cost the United States roughly $40 billion annually, while California faces more than $3 billion each year in crop losses, native plant damage and control or eradication efforts.<\/p>\n
The challenge has grown with the rise of online shopping and personal shipping. Jordan Petersen said an estimated 8 million packages enter California every day.<\/p>\n
Finding the few that may contain risky agricultural material, she said, can be \u201ca bit like trying to drink from a fire hose.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detector Dogs on the Front Lines<\/h4>\n
Los Angeles County, home to nearly 10 million residents and a major hub for international travel and shipping, employs 75 inspectors who place and check pest traps throughout the year.<\/p>\n
The county also operates six detector dog teams that screen parcels at FedEx, UPS and U.S. Postal Service facilities. The dogs do not detect the insects themselves. Instead, they alert handlers to packages containing fruit or plant material, which inspectors then open and examine.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about finding that invasive pest while it\u2019s still inside the package before it has the opportunity to reach our communities,\u201d Petersen said.<\/p>\n
Her teams have intercepted pests hiding on mangoes, guava, grapefruit, pineapple and truffle plants, \u201cjust to name a few.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Alameda County, Lisa Sampson said her dog Tank has detected 19 invasive fruit fly finds since the pair began working together in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich is pretty high. It definitely shows a trend in changes that I\u2019ve seen throughout the program in my time since 2011, where we didn\u2019t see as many fruit flies. It was pretty rare. It\u2019s becoming pretty common,\u201d Sampson said.<\/p>\n
Detector dogs are trained at the National Detector Dog Training Center, where each dog is tested on five fruit odors before entering the field. They first work at parcel terminals for a year before being cleared to screen post office bins.<\/p>\n
The dogs \u201chave to be 90% or better field certified\u201d every year, Sampson said. \u201cYou need a high energy-dog \u2026 They usually calm down in their work environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
When a Fruit Fly is Found<\/h4>\n
When an invasive fruit fly is found in a trap or inspection, officials move quickly.<\/p>\n
A single detection can trigger \u201cdelimitation,\u201d a process in which additional traps and inspectors are sent to the area to determine whether the fly was isolated or part of a larger infestation. Multiple detections can lead to eradication efforts, including organic bait stations that attract male flies and, in some cases, removal of fruit around the site.<\/p>\n
If enough flies are found, the area may be placed under quarantine. Quarantines generally last through three life cycles of the fly, which can mean several months in summer and longer during winter.<\/p>\n
For residents living under quarantine, Abraham Lopez-Zuniga said one major rule is simple: do not give away fresh fruit or vegetables from the quarantined area.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can process the fruit, you can juice the fruit, you can bake the fruit, and then you can give it away,\u201d Lopez-Zuniga said.<\/p>\n
Fruit that appears infested should be double-bagged and placed in the regular trash, not the green bin. Residents can report suspected infestations to CDFA at 1-800-491-1899 or through the agency\u2019s online reporting system.<\/p>\n
When quarantine rules are violated, counties can deny entry to noncompliant shipments, destroy infested products, usually by deep-freezing, and notify buyers through a formal notice, Petersen said. CDFA also places compliance agreements on local nurseries and growers and hold notices on properties where invasive pests are found.<\/p>\n
A Warning for Home Gardeners<\/h4>\n
Officials also urged gardeners to be careful when buying exotic plants or fruit trees online.<\/p>\n
Huong Dang, an Orange County gardener who also works in administrative support for the county agricultural commissioner\u2019s office, said demand for specialty plants has grown in Vietnamese-speaking gardening communities. That demand has pushed some buyers toward unregulated sellers on Facebook Marketplace and Etsy instead of licensed nurseries and growers.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people receive something totally different from what was advertised, and many of the plants are not suitable for the conditions of growing here,\u201d Dang said.<\/p>\n
She encouraged gardeners to work with local nurseries instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cFellow gardeners, better contact your local nursery. If they don\u2019t carry it, they can special order for you,\u201d Dang continued. \u201cThe plants are certified pest- and disease-free.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hornbaker said the public remains one of the most important lines of defense.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always want to stress: Don\u2019t pack a pest. We don\u2019t want people bringing back fruits, vegetables, plants and natural materials into California.\u201d<\/p>\n
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All images courtesy of American Community Media\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
California agriculture officials are urging residents and travelers to stop bringing or shipping fresh fruit into the state as invasive fruit fly quarantines remain active in San Diego County. The warning comes during peak summer travel, when luggage, online purchases and personal shipments can create easy pathways for invasive pests to enter California. Officials say…<\/p>\n
- Abraham Lopez-Zuniga<\/b>, CDFA Emergency Response Team Lead<\/li>\n