After a year of restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of the Mexican fruit fly, officials with the U.S. and Texas departments of agriculture announced that they were amending multiple Texas quarantine areas for the invasive pest, which can destroy a wide range of crops.
What’s happening?
The Mexican fruit fly, also known as the Mexfly, is native to Central America and Mexico, according to the National Invasive Species Information Center. Mexfly larvae have been known to infect over 60 types of fruits and vegetables, especially citrus and mangoes.
“Each year, the pest enters the lower Rio Grande Valley’s 27,000 acres of commercial citrus crops from south of the border and attacks more than 40 different kinds of fruits,” the Texas Department of Agriculture said on its website. “Damage occurs when the female fly lays eggs in the fruit, which then hatch into larvae, making the fruit unmarketable.”
To help prevent the spread of the Mexfly, in 2024, federal and state officials established multiple quarantine areas in Texas’ Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties. In February 2025, after detecting mated female Mexflies in the area, officials more than doubled the Brownsville quarantine in Cameron County to a total of 110 square miles, according to a March 2025 announcement from the USDA. The quarantined area contained 111 acres of commercial citrus crops.
However, in August and September of this year, officials significantly reduced the size of multiple quarantine areas, signalling that the previous restrictions had been effective in reducing the Mexfly’s spread.
On Aug. 22, officials reduced the Brownsville quarantine area by 67 square miles “after three generations elapsed since the date of the last Mexfly detection,” according to a Sept. 8 announcement. The new, smaller quarantine area does not contain any commercial citrus.
Soon after, on Sept. 2, the federal and state departments of agriculture released from quarantine 69 square miles in Hidalgo County, which contained 449 acres of commercial citrus, the announcement said.
Why are invasive species important?
As the Mexfly quarantines in Texas have demonstrated, invasive species can wreak havoc on crops, hurting the food supply and potentially causing food prices to rise.
With global temperatures increasing, many invasive species have been able to survive in areas outside of their traditional habitats. In addition to destroying crops and disrupting trade, some of these species, such as mosquitoes, carry deadly diseases. In many cases, invasive species outcompete native plants and animals, disrupting the delicate balance of local ecosystems.
What’s being done about invasive species?
The Texas Mexfly quarantines have been a prime example of the kinds of temporary measures that government officials can take to prevent the spread of destructive invasive species in the immediate term.
However, as global temperatures continue to rise, invasive species will increasingly be able to survive and even thrive in new regions. Therefore, in order to curb the spread of invasive species over the long term, humans need to significantly reduce the amount of heat-trapping pollution entering the atmosphere.
To help push for change at the political level, you can contact your elected representatives and vote for pro-environmental candidates.
Going a step further, you can reduce heat-trapping pollution and save money on gas and electricity by driving an EV or installing solar panels on your home.
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Tax credits for EVs end Sept. 30, and tax credits for solar expire Dec. 31, so you must act quickly to take advantage of thousands of dollars in potential savings.
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