50 
PLANT QUARANTINE AND CONTROL ADMINISTRATION [April-June, 
RECORD OF CURRENT WORK, APRIL 1 TO JUNE 3G, 1929 
MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY 
The Mediterranean fruit fly was discovered at Orlando, Fla., on April 
6, 1929, and the identity of the pest confirmed by the specialists of the depart- 
ment at Washington on April 10. A rapid survey of the immediate vicinity 
resulted in the determination that the fly was thoroughly established in several 
orchards within the town limits of Orlando and at a few outlying points 
several miles north and south of that city. Subsequent scouting eventually 
showed the infestation to cover a considerable part of central Florida. 
The seriousness of the situation and the importance of completely eradi- 
cating the insect, if possible, were at once recognized. Emergency funds of 
$50,000 were immediately released by the State, and, by transfer, $40,000 was 
promptly made available by the Department of Agriculture for preliminary 
work. This was followed by congressional action upon recommendation of 
the Secretary of Agriculture, making $4,250,000 immediately available for 
the control and eradication operations. 
Lines of work which were undertaken immediately following the discovery 
of the insect included (1) scouting to determine the extent of the spread 
in Florida and elsewhere, (2) quarantine action regulating the movement of 
all products that might carry infestation to other localities, (3) destruction of 
all fruit in infested and surrounding orchards, and (4) spraying the trees 
concerned with an attractive poison bait as a substitute for the natural food 
thus removed. 
EXTENT OF INFESTATION 
The surveys undertaken to determine the extent of spread confirmed the 
idea that Orlando was the starting point of the invasion, particularly as 
no infestations of a like nature have been determined elsewhere. Surveys 
around this center of infestation first revealed the pest to have been distributed 
rather extensively throughout Seminole, Orange, and the eastern part of Lake 
Counties, and into the extreme north end of Osceola County. This was fol- 
lowed soon by the discovery of fruit-fly infestations along the east coast extend- 
ing throughout the eastern parts of Brevard and Volusia Counties from 
Ormond Beach to Merritt Island. 
During May infested fruit was discovered in five additional counties, and 
by the close of the fiscal year on June 30, 16 counties were known to be 
involved in the spread of the pest. Table 1 shows the number and location of 
properties found infested from the time the fruit fly was discovered until 
the end of June. Most of the properties listed were town lots and similar 
locations other than commercial orchards, and, outside of the immediate 
vicinity of Orlando, the infestations found in commercial orchards were 
extremely light and difficult to discover, indicating a very recent establish- 
ment of infestation. 
Tabus 1. — Number of properties found and reported infested tvith the Mediter- 
ranean fruit fly from the date of discovery to June SO, 1929 
Apr. 6- 
May 31 
June 1-30 
Total to 
June 30 
Apr. 6- 
May 31 
June 1-30 
Total to 
June 30 
59 
( 2 ) 


53 

3 
35G 
17 
13 

4 
17 
35 
1 
4 
44 
10 
72 

4 
17 
88 
1 
7 
400 
27 
Pinellas 

7 
5 

88 
1 
107 
9 
27 
13 
8 
9 

37 
9 
Duval 2 
Polk 
34 
Flagler 
Putnam... . 
18 
Hillsborough.. 
St. Johns 
8 
Seminole ' 
97 
Sumter.. 
1 
Volusia I 
144 
Total 
Osceola ' 
697 
230 
927 
1 Infestations discovered in these counties before the end of April. 
2 The reported infestation at Jacksonville was based on the discovery of Mediterranean fruit flies in a 
residence, where they had emerged from a box of fruit shipped from Orange County. The flies were killed 
and no field infestation has been discovered at that point. 
