Acting regional director Elizabeth Verzola of the Department of Agriculture said the pest was defeated through the use of a crude but effective method -- putting out yellow, sticky strips to trap and kill adult flies, thus breaking the insects' life cycle.

Vuguias Mayor Domingo Bay-an said 1,173 families affected by the pestilence had started planting alternate crops like corn, radish, camote, and peanuts. Farmers have learned to avoid planting soft-stemmed crops that host young leaf miners.

Verzola said an adult female pest could lay 600 eggs within 2 to 3 days. The task force said leaf miners remain but in a manageable number.

The DA acting director, however, warned that another outbreak may happen if farmers continue indiscriminate pesticide use and insist on monocropping.