The Willow Glen and Rose Garden areas of San Jose are within a portion of Santa Clara County that the California Secretary of Agriculture has placed under quarantine for the oriental fruit fly following the detection of eight flies in the cities of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
The quarantine area also includes all of the cities of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale as well as portions of Saratoga, Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos and Mountain View. These areas are expected to remain under quarantine until June 1, 2024, and the boundaries of the quarantine area may be expanded.
The oriental fruit fly is an invasive pest that poses a significant threat to California’s agricultural industry. It is known to infest more than 230 fruits and vegetables, including valuable California crops such as avocados, apples, stone and citrus fruits, tomatoes and peppers.
To prevent the spread of oriental fruit flies, residents in the quarantine areas should not move homegrown fruits and vegetables from their property. These fruits and vegetables may, however, be consumed or processed on the property where they were grown.
Residents should continue to use their green organics cart for disposal of all fruit and vegetables. Additionally, residents can freeze homegrown produce and place it in their organics cart the night before cart collection to help prevent the spread of fruit flies.
All organic materials collected in the green organics cart go through extensive processing including grinding and sustained high temperatures that ensure that the resulting compost is free from pathogens, including fly larvae and eggs. Oriental fruit flies only affect homegrown produce, such as fruits and vegetables. Store-bought produce is considered safe.
For more information, visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/off/regulation.html.
