On utility poles and street trees across parts of four Inland Empire cities, California agriculture crews are placing small bait stations aimed at a single insect. The California Department of Food and Agriculture confirmed five oriental fruit flies trapped in Jurupa Valley between Sept. 9 and Oct. 5, 2026, and the state’s emergency eradication program now covers portions of Eastvale, Fontana, Jurupa Valley and Ontario, according to the San Bernardino County Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures. The program runs until May 11, 2027.
For homeowners with citrus, stone fruit or tomatoes in the yard, the program matters most if inspectors find signs that the flies are breeding. In that case, crews can remove host fruit from properties near a detection site.
Five flies in four weeks
The program grew in stages. The county’s first 2026 notice described three oriental fruit flies trapped in Jurupa Valley between Sept. 9 and Sept. 15, with a program set to run until April 10, 2027.
Two more finds followed. The amended proclamation of emergency, issued in the name of CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and posted Oct. 8, counts five flies through Oct. 5 and extends the program to May 11, 2027, a span CDFA says is needed to cover three life cycles of the fly…