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EPA APPROVES QUARANTINE EXEMPTION FOR SPINOSAD TO ERADICATE FRUIT FLIES IN FLORIDA
Release Date: 05/27/99
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, MAY 27 1999
EPA APPROVES QUARANTINE EXEMPTION FOR SPINOSAD
TO ERADICATE FRUIT FLIES IN FLORIDA
TO ERADICATE FRUIT FLIES IN FLORIDA
In a significant move towards providing alternatives to control exotic fruit flies in Florida, EPA has approved a three-year Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Section 18 Quarantine Exemption for spinosad and diazinon. This is the first time that spinosad, a reduced-risk pesticide first registered in 1997, has been requested for use in the fruit fly quarantine program under Section 18. Spinosad is produced by a bacterium and is poisonous to numerous insect pests. However, its low toxicity to mammals and most non-target species will enable EPA to establish necessary tolerances (maximum pesticide residue level) for spinosad in fruit fly quarantine programs. This use of spinosad will serve as an important reduced-risk alternative to malathion spraying programs which have come under increasing public criticism in recent years, especially in urban areas. To complement spinosad applications, diazinon may be applied as a soil drench treatment around nursery stock and within the perimeter of drip lines around infested host trees. Data from recent field trial efficacy studies comparing the effectiveness of spinosad and malathion suggest that spinosad provides comparable control of the fruit flies. Based on these studies, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Florida officials have determined that spinosad will be used initially in fruit fly eradication programs, with continued use dependent upon its effectiveness in controlling pest outbreaks.
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