▁elsewhere ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁California ▁spent ▁more ▁than ▁$ 1 7 0 ▁million ▁on ▁med fly ▁er adic ation ▁programs ▁meant ▁to ▁contain ▁ 1 2 ▁different ▁inf est ations . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁the ▁state ▁began ▁util izing ▁ster ile ▁med f lies ▁in ▁its ▁er adic ation ▁program ▁and ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁the ▁state ▁experienced ▁five ▁inf est ations . ▁A ▁major ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁med fly ▁inf est ation ▁cost ▁California ▁$ 4 0 ▁million ▁by ▁itself . ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁inf est ation ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁political ▁crisis ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁aer ial ▁sp ray ing ▁program ▁in ▁July ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁Med f lies ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁tra ps ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁in ▁Sol ano ▁County , ▁California . ▁The ▁first ▁med f lies ▁in ▁Florida ▁turned ▁up ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁and ▁they ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁constant ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁cit rus ▁c rop ▁there ▁ever ▁since . ▁Med fly ▁sight ings ▁occurred ▁in ▁Florida ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁Att ack ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁when ▁med f lies ▁were ▁first ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁California ▁deployed ▁small ▁Mc Ph ail ▁tra