SAN DIEGO -- A Mediterranean fruit fly was trapped in Imperial Beach, prompting San Diego County agriculture officials to begin treating the area to eradicate the crop-destroying pests, it was announced Monday.

The location where the fruit fly was found is six miles from an existing fruit fly quarantine in Spring Valley.

"This has been a particularly bad year for finding fruit flies, quite possibly the worst in San Diego County history," said Robert Atkins, the county's agriculture commissioner.

"It's extremely important that the public is aware of the situation because they should not remove fruit and vegetables from any quarantined area," Atkins said.

State and county agriculture workers have begun placing traps in an 81- square-mile area around where the insect was found, but so far no additional fruit flies have been found.

Crews are also spraying an natural insecticide and releasing sterile fruit flies in the area, according to the county.

Mediterranean fruit flies are known to damage more than 260 different fruits and vegetables. Damage occurs when the females lays eggs inside the fruit that hatch into maggots that tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it inedible.