The California Medfly Attack

"State officials have probably noticed an increase as well as an unusual distribution of Medfly infestation in Los Angeles County since March 1989. This was no coincidence."

The Mediterranean fruit fly, better known as the medfly, is about as unassuming as an insect can get. But the pest, native to sub-Saharan Africa, comes with enormous stakes. The medfly can infest more than 200 plant species, proving to be a nightmare for farmers everywhere. For farmers in California, though, they're an existential threat. That's why state officials treat every sighting like a five-alarm fire.

California has been fighting medfly invasions since the mid-1970s, throwing everything at them in an attempt to save their billion dollar agricultural industry. But in 1989, a strange outbreak of medflies were reported in Los Angeles and Orange counties. They appeared in clusters, as if they'd been placed there on purpose. Before long, a mysterious group calling themselves "The Breeders" claimed responsibility for this act of eco-terror...

Research & writing by Amelia White

Hosting, production, and additional research/writing by Micheal Whelan

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