Weighing The Risks And Benefits Of Quarantine

The Mediterranean fruit fly infestation in California was unlikely to pose any problems for the other states, but a Kansas agricultural law which has been in effect since 1907 offers protection from it and similar pests which might enter Kansas from other states. The infestation was not in the commercial fruit growing areas of California at that time, so there was very little chance of maggot infested fruit entering Kansas. Even if some of the flies did get into the state, the timing was such that they would die before they caused damage.

It will be a miracle to find a single Mediterranean fruit fly that has outlived the Kansas winter. This kind of fruit fly infestation is not new to the United States as California has had similar incidences in the past. It has been recorded that Florida had the same infestation in 1929, 1930, 1956, 1958 and 1963, as well as Texas in 1966 and California in 1975 and 1976. Malathion insecticide, traps, lures and freeing of sterile male flies are among the known past techniques to solve the infestation.

The entire state received a message on the agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture which lays out the unified guideline for the state and its officials in case of emergency. One nationwide adversity regulation is in place and it requires a higher number of personnel in trapping the insects and pushing for annihilation. In attempt to erase all the insects, they are trapped in their infested areas where sterile male flies are mixed with them to diminish the number of the next generation and aerosol Malathion is sprayed to kill them.

Once it has been seen that blocking off is necessary, the government uses a formula to assess the risks and benefits of the quarantine. They should find a program that is not just affordable but also effective as an insect exterminator before the outbreak starts. There needs to be a public hearing before a country wide or statewide quarantine can be established. What we really mean by quarantine in effect is that no fruit goes out of the state without necessary certification as to fumigation or ample cold treatment or as to growing in the safe areas in terms of termites.

The Kansas plant pest act informs the people of the impending prosecution of people who will infringe the understanding made on a federal confinement by bringing in quarantined products into specified states. The steadfast drive of the entomology division is the safety of Kansas from destructive pests. Gypsy moths, Japanese beetles, soybean cyst nematodes, and witch weeds are among the list of deadly out of state insects which the entomologists follow closely in order to be caught as they are all not found in Kansas.

There are some pests that can originate from Kansas that also need segregation. Let us say in the Case of California, there is a directive that all Kansas corn and sorghum grain be fumigated or filtered before entering the said state because Kansas has recorded incidences of European corn borer which California does not have. Kansas apples cannot enter California unless adequately being cured because of the existing cases of plumb curculio and apple maggot. Regulations to prevent pests of one place from affecting other areas are observed in all states as well as other countries that in fact require Kansas state board of agriculture to ascertain that all grain shipments from their state are safe.

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