Officials raise red flags over increasing threat to local agriculture: 'We don't want them established'

Troublesome insects have shown up uninvited to gardens and farms in California's Kern County, threatening a sizable chunk of the local economy.

What's happening?

Invasive fruit flies have been spotted in Kern County, sparking urgent calls from officials to protect area crops and gardens. These pests, which thrive in hot weather, are capable of rapidly multiplying and damaging harvests.

"We don't want them established in Kern County because they are detrimental to many of our agricultural crops," Cerise Montanio, the deputy director of the county's Department of Agriculture and Measurement Standards, told local station KERO in an early-June report. Local officials are partnering with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to manage pesticide programs.

Home gardens and transported produce can be key sources of spread. "What we grow in our backyards feeds our family and feeds our community," Victoria Hornbaker of CDFA told the station. "It's equally as important to protect that as it is to protect the state's agriculture."

Why are these invasive fruit flies concerning?

Kern's $3.7 billion citrus and almond industries — making up 40% of the county's agricultural value, per KERO — are on the line. If these invasive flies take hold, they could decimate crops, leading to job losses, higher food prices, and even ripple effects across the national food supply and global food systems.

Invasive species outcompete native insects for food and habitat, and their spread often accelerates due to rising global temperatures — driven by human-caused heat-trapping pollution — as well as the increased mobility of people and goods. Unchecked invasive species have caused similar damage in states like Arkansas and entire regions of the United States, not to mention countries worldwide.

What's being done about the problem?

To curb the spread, residents have been urged to buy local, check their plants, and avoid transporting fruits or other produce between regions for now. Properly bagging and disposing of rotting fruit can also help break the breeding cycle. 

Meanwhile, agricultural officials are ramping up surveillance through trapping programs and applying targeted pesticides where needed. 

Broader conservation strategies across the U.S. to keep invasive species at bay include restoring native plant habitats as well as increasing public awareness about invasive threats and their connections to other critical climate issues. 

Protecting native species and food crops from invasive pests is essential to maintaining strong ecosystems and a secure, affordable food supply. Homeowners can help by rewilding their yards to make more properties biodiverse and hospitable to the non-invasive pollinators so essential to healthy harvests.

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