United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Addition of a new methyl bromide treatment for Ceratitis 

capitata and Anastrepha fraterculus in blueberries from South 

and Central America.

Treatment Evaluation Document (TED)

Date: January 10, 2012

Treatments, Pests, Commodities and Countries

New Treatment/ 

Revision/Deletion 

Treatment Type Target Pests Commodity 

Applicable

Country of 

Origin

New Treatment Methyl Bromide 

Fumigation

Ceratitis 

capitata, 

Anastrepha 

fraterculus

Blueberries South and 

Central 

America

Objective: In October 2009, SENASA, the national plant protection organization 

(NPPO) of Argentina, requested APHIS to approve a new methyl bromide treatment to be 

applied at or above 15°C (59°F) for control of Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha 

fraterculus on blueberries. The currently available APHIS treatment, T101-i-1-1 required 

fruit to be treated at 70°F or above which presented an undue economic hardship for the 

exporters. This document provides supporting information and justification to add this 

treatment to the treatment manual. This addition will help continue the trade of 

blueberries from Argentina and other countries in South and Central America, while 

continuing to protect American agriculture from the introduction of the exotic pests.

Overview: 

In October 2009, SENASA, Argentina, provided APHIS with preliminary data

supporting their request for a temperature decrease for treatment schedule T101-i-1-1 

from 70°F (21.1°C) to 59°F (15°C) for control of Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha 

fraterculus on blueberries. 
2

Subsequently, the Treatment Quality Assurance Unit (TQAU) of APHIS’s Center for 

Plant Health Science and Technology reviewed the preliminary data and worked with 

SENASA to develop a final research plan to be used for testing of treatment efficacy at or 

above 15°C (59°F) (Attachment 1). Both parties also agreed on the following key points 

as the basis for the test:

 C. capitata is more tolerant to fumigation with methyl bromide than A. 

fraterculus; therefore only C. capitata would be used for further testing.

 C. capitata egg stage was the most tolerant life stage to methyl bromide, therefore 

only eggs of C. capitata (with more than half of their embryonic development 

completed) would be tested.

 Only commercially grown blueberries would be used and only fruit that had never 

been treated with an insecticide were to be used for testing.

 Three replicates of 3,500 C. capitata eggs each were to be treated in independent 

fumigations (at least 10,000 eggs total).

 Blueberries were to be fumigated in a 33.72 m3normal atmospheric pressure 

(NAP) chamber at 60% load capacity. 

 The amount of methyl bromide used would be based on the total volume of the 

chamber.

 The fumigation chamber would contain 8 pallets with each pallet containing 240 

boxes and each box containing 12 clamshells of blueberry fruit. 

 Boxes of infested fruit would be placed in the centers of pallets 3 and 6. 

 Temperature probes would be placed in the centers of pallets 1, 3, 6, and 8. 

 Gas concentration readings would be taken with Spectros Contain-IR monitor 

operated by APHIS International Services (IS) officers.

Evaluation: 

On July 29, 2011, SENASA provided TQAU with results from the requested research 

(SENASA, 2011a; SENASA, 2011b). TQAU determined that the methods employed by 

the researchers were well within the scope of the agreed protocol, and the numbers of 

insects tested exceeded APHIS requirements. A total of 43,490 viable C. capitata eggs 

were used in the three fumigation replications (10717, 14762, and 18011). Although 

some fluctuations in temperature were noticed the data were seen as adequate to support a 

methyl bromide treatment at 15.5°C (60°F) or above, which was slightly higher than what 

was requested (15°C (59°F) or above). 

Decision: 

TQAU recommends acceptance of fumigation using 2 lbs. of methyl bromide gas per 

1000 ft3for 3.5 hours at or above 15.5°C (60°F) to control Ceratitis capitata and 

Anastrepha fraterculus in blueberries from South and Central American countries. A new 

treatment schedule, T101-i-1-2, will be created for methyl bromide fumigations in NAP 

chambers (Figure 2).
3

Originators:

Laura A. Jeffers, PPQ-CPHST-TQAU, Pest Exclusion Specialist

Woodward D. Bailey, PPQ-CPHST-TQAU, Treatment Program Manager

Figure 1. Existing blueberry schedule (9/2/2011)

Figure 2. Proposed new blueberry schedule 

T101-i-1-2 Blueberry

Pest: Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly) and Anastrepha fraterculus (South 

American fruit fly)

Treatment: T101-i-1-2 MB at NAP - chamber

Temperature Dosage Rate (lbs/1000 ft3)

Exposure Period

(hours)

60°F or above 2 3.5

References Cited:

SENASA. 2011a. Report on validation of a quarantine treatment with methyl bromide at 

low temperatures for fruit flies in blueberries. Ministrio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y 

Pesoa, Servicio National de Senidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria. June 2011. 22 pp.

SENASA. 2011b. Validation of a quarantine treatment with methyl bromide at low 

temperatures for fruit flies in blueberries, some additional information. Ministrio de 

Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesoa, Servicio National de Senidad y Calidad 

Agroalimentaria. June 2011. 74 slides.