Jody Serrano
Editor in chiefEditor in Chief at Xataka On. Before joining Webedia, I was a tech reporter at Gizmodo and The Messenger. While I've covered all sorts of things related to technology, I'm specialized in writing about social media, Internet culture, Twitch, and streamers.
Over in California, if you can’t beat your enemy, you make them fall in love. That’s the approach that state agriculture officials are taking to deal with the Mediterranean fruit fly, at least. (Disclaimer: I do not know if insects can fall in love.)
California’s fruit fly problem. According to state agriculture officials, California is seeing an “unusually high number” of invasive fruit flies throughout the state this season. At first glance, fruit fries—invasive or not—may not seem like a big deal, but they can cause serious damage to both backyard gardens and farms.
Fruit flies damage more than 300 crops, including citrus, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and berries. Crops attached by the pests can’t be consumed by humans, which can cause an economical toll.
“Many growers—large and small—rely on their harvest yields to support their livelihoods,” the California Department of Agriculture said. “If invasive fruit flies were to become established throughout California, it could cause a significant negative impact to the agricultural community and ultimately the state’s economy.”
The Mediterranean fruit fly. While there are various species of invasive fruit flies in California right now, one of them stands out: the Mediterranean fruit fly. Also known as the Medfly, this species is native to Africa but has spread to other parts of the world, including southern Europe and Australia.
The Medfly has the highest host range of any fruit fly and is considered the most important agriculture pest in the world, according to the California Department of Agriculture. Los Angeles County is currently under quarantine because of the high number of Medflies in the area.
Besides the Medfly, California is also dealing with three other invasive fruit flies: the Oriental fruit fly, the Tau fruit fly, and the Queensland fruit fly.
Introducing sterile flies. Officials are taking an eye-catching approach to deal with the Medfly in California: They’re releasing more fruit flies. However, these aren’t regular pests. They’re all male and sterile, and the goal is to disrupt the Medfly’s mating cycle.
As explained by state agriculture officials, the idea is for the sterile males to mate with the wild females, eliminating their chances at producing viable offspring.
Every week, millions of sterile fruit flies are being released in special aircraft and trucks in the San Francisco Bay and East Bay areas, according to USA Today.
"It’s safe, precise, and environmentally-friendly, eliminating MedFlies without harsh chemicals," Rodney Farol, an agricultural technician with the state, said in an informative video about the project.
Images | California Department of Agriculture
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