Posted at 2:14 p.m., Tuesday, October 16, 2007
California worries about Med flies in San Jose
Associated Press
California officials are hoping the release of millions of sterile male Mediterranean fruit flies will keep the pest from spreading in the San Jose area.A spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture says each week for the next nine months state workers will drop nearly three million sterile male medflies from airplanes over parts of San Jose.
Because the female fruit fly only has one sexual encounter in her lifetime, it's hoped an encounter with a sterile male will reduce the number of flies.
The move comes after a handful of medflies were found in the San Jose area in recent weeks.
The medfly can infest more than 260 types of fruits, nuts and vegetables in California.
