New Apple Maggot Signs Bring Renewed Awareness To Old Problem

If you’ve traveled over Blewett or Stevens Passes, you may have seen the posted sign warning travelers that they are entering or leaving an Apple Maggot Quarantine Area. That sign and others around state recently got updated, and in some cases, relocated. Marcus Bellissimo reports.

The State Department of Agriculture is bringing renewed awareness to an old problem – the Apple Maggot. New signs have been deployed across central and western Washington, a collaboration between the state departments of agriculture and transportation, and the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission.

The agencies spent the last two years updating the road signs and their placement, and removing old, out-of-place signs. The new red, white and black signs were designed to be more eye-catching than older signs, with the aim of stopping the transport of homegrown fruit – especially apples – out of apple maggot quarantine areas into pest-free areas.

Jim Marra, WSDA pest program manager, said apple maggots are poor fliers and the largest contributor to the spread of apple maggot is human movement of the pest.

Combined state, local and industry efforts have prevented apple maggot from ever being detected in commercial apples, which is critical to Washington’s iconic apple industry. If apple maggots were found in commercial apples, it would have devastating impacts on Washington apple’s billion-dollar export market.