Home

Californians Cautioned Against Traveling With Citrus Fruit or Plant Material Over Labor Day Weekend

via Business Wire

Residents Could Unknowingly Spread Deadly Citrus Pest and Disease When Traveling

With an influx of Californians expected to travel over Labor Day weekend, agricultural officials are cautioning Californians on what NOT to pack for their trips – homegrown citrus fruit and plant material.

Traveling with homegrown citrus fruit or plant material can 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), part of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, are urging Californians to obey HLB 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 Californians prepare to travel for Labor Day weekend, we’re asking everyone to leave homegrown citrus at home and to avoid bringing it back from their destinations,” said Keith Watkins, chairman of the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee. “Moving homegrown citrus fruit or plant material can spread dangerous pests and plant diseases – threatening the ability of both California residents and commercial growers to continue growing some of California’s favorite fruits. By working together, we can protect California’s citrus.”

The ACP and HLB are not the only plant pest and disease threatening backyard citrus. Over the past few years, invasive fruit fly (IFF) populations have created additional quarantines in California that restricted any movement of homegrown produce – including citrus – from the property where it's grown. To help prevent future IFF quarantines, when entering California from another state or country, residents should avoid bringing agricultural products – including fruits and vegetables. To learn more about how to protect California’s fruits and vegetables, visit StopInvasivePests.com.

All California residents are encouraged to inspect their backyard citrus trees for the ACP and HLB when 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 exotic pest hotline by calling 1-800-491-1899.

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.

Contacts