- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Author: Anne Schellman
As part of our coverage of California Invasive Species Action Week, today we focus on a pair of invasive species that “work” together: an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid and the plant disease it can spread, huanglongbing.
Our long-time readers will know that we write about these pests quite a bit. That's because this pest pair has the potential of causing profound economic harm to the California citrus industry. So please read on and found out what you can do to help.
The Basics
The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is a very small flying insect that feeds on citrus plants...
San Luis Obispo County has seen more than 20 detections of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) since January 2018, according to Citrus Insider. The majority of these invasive insects have been found in the backyards of residential properties in the city of Nipomo.
If you haven't yet heard about this insect, Asian citrus psyllids can carry and spread the incurable citrus disease huanglongbing, also called HLB or citrus greening disease. Citrus trees infected with HLB develop mottled leaves and produce misshapen fruit that stays green and tastes bitter. There is currently no treatment for the disease, which usually kills trees within three to five years.
Due to these ACP finds, citrus growers in SLO County are on high alert,...
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have confirmed the detection of the citrus disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in Riverside County. The disease was detected in plant material taken from a grapefruit tree...
[From the May 2017 issue of the UC IPM Retail Newsletter]
Retail nursery and garden center employees play an important role in communicating pest management information to gardeners and the public. The UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM) strives to help retailers stay current on emerging pest-related topics facing California that help consumers effectively manage pests.
As part of this effort, UC IPM partnered with several UC Cooperative Extension Advisors and Specialists to offer three regional train-the trainer workshops in 2016 and early 2017. A total of 188 participants from 41 retail...
/span>The following press release was distributed on April 13, 2017 by the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program.
Huanglongbing was confirmed in a single citrus tree in the City of La Habra in Orange County on April 11. This new find will result in a new HLB quarantine area, which will link the existing quarantines into a contiguous zone spanning portions of Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Additionally, two samples of Asian citrus psyllids in Anaheim tested positive for carrying the bacteria that causes HLB. These lab results were confirmed last week, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture is treating host plants in the surrounding 800-meter area. No...