Officials plan to combat an infestation of the Asian fruit fly by spraying a portion of Miami-Dade County with Spinosad.
The number of captured flies has risen to 161 with a quarantine zone expanding to 97-square-miles. So, beginning Friday, state officials say they'll douse the area with the common insecticide used in gardening approved for organic farming.
The Miami Herald reports some 6 tons of infected fruit have already been bagged and destroyed.
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says he's committed to ``using every weapon in the arsenal to protect agriculture in Miami-Dade County.''
The flies were first spotted in Kendall in August and within two weeks dozens had been caught in traps in the nearby Redland area. In September, Putnam declared a state of emergency in that area.
