Apple Maggot Quarantine Expanding

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has expanded the quarantine area of apple maggots to include areas of southeastern Lincoln County.

Pest Program Outreach Coordinator Karla Salp said there was some uncomposted waste that had been transported through Eastern Washington and so they did some extra trapping in non-quarantine areas eventually finding apple maggots in Lincoln County.

“Because they don’t have a pest control board in Lincoln County which might address the apple maggots that were there, we had to extend the quarantine cause that’s our only option.”

The expansion should not mean a bigger concern for apple growers according to Salp, as it is far removed from most of the apple production.

Salp noted that the biggest cause of apple maggots spreading around the state are people unknowingly transporting infected fruit.

“The general public just needs to know if they go to the grocery store and buy apples, those apples you can take anywhere. If you live in the quarantined area, you should not take any homegrown fruit out of the quarantined area.”

WSDA has a searchable map that shows if you live in a quarantined area.

For the map, click here.

For more info, click here.

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail krounce@cherrycreekradio.com.