Californians Cautioned Against Spreading Deadly Citrus Pest and Disease Amid Record-Breaking July Fourth Travel
July 01 2024 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Residents Should Avoid Moving Homegrown Citrus
Fruit and Plant Material When Traveling
AAA is forecasting a record 70.9 million Americans will be
traveling over the Fourth of July as summer travel hits a record
high, and agricultural officials are cautioning Californians on
what NOT to pack for their trips –
homegrown citrus fruit and plant material.
Traveling with citrus fruit or plant material can unknowingly
spread a dangerous pest – the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) – and the
deadly citrus plant disease it can carry, Huanglongbing (HLB).
Officials from the California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention
Division (CPDPD) are urging Californians to obey plant quarantine
restrictions, which limit the transport and movement of citrus
fruit and plant material into or out of a quarantine area and
across state and international lines. Portions of Southern
California are currently under an HLB quarantine throughout areas
of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside and
Ventura counties.
The ACP, a tiny insect that feeds on citrus leaves and stems,
can spread HLB. While not harmful to humans or animals, it is fatal
to citrus trees. There is no cure for HLB, and infected trees will
die. Both the pest and disease have been found in California and
citrus tree owners should be on high alert.
“As residents embark on their summer travels, avoiding the
movement of their backyard citrus into or out of quarantine zones,
neighboring counties, state lines or international borders is
paramount,” said David Gutierrez, interim director of the CPDPD at
the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “Support from
California residents is critical in preventing the spread of this
deadly pest and plant disease, and we all need to work together to
safeguard the future of California’s citrus.”
The ACP and HLB are not the only plant pests and diseases
threatening backyard citrus. In other areas of California, invasive
fruit fly populations have created additional quarantines that
restrict any movement of homegrown produce – including citrus –
from the property where it's grown, and no produce should be moved
from these areas. To learn more about invasive fruit fly
quarantines throughout the state, visit CAFruitFly.com.
All California residents are encouraged to inspect their citrus
trees for the ACP and HLB whenever watering, spraying, pruning or
tending to them. The ACP is one-eighth of an inch long and feeds at
a 45-degree angle, making the insect appear thorn-like on leaves
and stems. Symptoms of HLB include blotchy, yellowing of leaves;
yellow shoots; lopsided, small and rancid-tasting fruit; and
premature and excessive fruit drop. Residents should report pest
or disease symptoms to the free California Department of Food and
Agriculture pest hotline by calling 1-800-491-1899.
By complying with plant quarantine restrictions, limiting the
movement of citrus fruit and plant material, and through proper
pest and disease management, residents can play their part in
preventing the spread of the ACP and HLB. For more information on
ACP and HLB prevention, visit CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org.
About the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention
Program
The Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program was established
in 2009 to advise the Secretary of the California Department of
Food and Agriculture and agricultural industry about efforts to
combat serious citrus pests and diseases – like the Asian citrus
psyllid and Huanglongbing – that threaten California’s citrus
trees. To learn more, visit CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org.
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Paige Shewmaker ps@nstpr.com 916-753-4491