Government officials and agricultural representatives in Baja California Sur are worried about fruit flies that have been found in Todos Santos.

They are calling it an emergency. This Mexican state can send produce to the United States and elsewhere because dangerous fruit flies have not been an issue here. While the area has fruit flies, the one causing the emergency declaration is new.

At the Jan. 25 meeting for ACTS (Asociación de Colonos de Todos Santos), multiple people from the agency responsible for the fly’s eradication spoke. They have been in Todos Santos for seven months spraying trees and setting traps. Now they are running into issues with the ability to access private property.

They will be going door-to-door asking for permission to treat trees. ACTS will be sending an email to its members and putting a notice in the Baja Western Onion. It is possible to let the delegado’s office know spraying is allowed if you are not home. Officials urge people to not leave fallen fruit on the ground.

Every parcel with a fruit tree (citrus, mango, plums, pomegranates) needs to be sprayed with what is essentially a non-toxic sugar compound. The best time to spray is when there is no fruit. For those not wanting the spray, traps can be set up.

Of the 100 traps in the Todos Santos municipality, four flies were found when they checked before the meeting. Traps are examined every three days. Larvae has been found in fruit as well.

The emergency will be deemed over once no flies are located for three consecutive months.