Report a Pest
- CDFA Pest Hotline
1-800-491-1899 - Contact Your Local County Agriculture Department
Threat to CA Citrus
Other Resources
- Citrus Crisis Alert
USDA sponsored - County of San Diego Agriculture, Weights and Measures
- Is a Disease-Carrying Insect Killing Your Citrus Tree?
Citrus Research Board - Huanglongbing (HLB)
Florida Dept of Agriculture - Huanglongbing (HLB)
USDA - HLB Environmental Assessments
USDA - Invasive Pests and Diseases
Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) and Huanglongbing (HLB)
Hot Topics
- USDA ANNOUNCES $5.8 MILLION IN FUNDING TO FIGHT THE ASIAN CITRUS PSYLLID
- FACT SHEET - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ASIAN CITRUS PSYLLID QUARANTINE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY
- HOT TOPIC ARCHIVE
Introduction
The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is a pest that acts as a carrier or vector spreading “huanglongbing” (HLB), a devastating disease of citrus trees. This bacterial disease is transmitted to healthy trees by the psyllid after it feeds on infected plant tissue.
This website has been designed to help answer questions about ACP and HLB and the threat to all California citrus growers both in commercial and backyard settings.
It is important to stress that CDFA conducts field surveys for ACP and other pests statewide. Recent detections of ACP in Tijuana, Mexico, reemphasize the importance of increased surveillance for ACP in neighboring San Diego County.
Survey methods for ACP include visual inspections of citrus trees by CDFA and county field inspectors, “sweep netting” for insects, and the placement of yellow panel “sticky traps” in host trees and shrubs in citrus nurseries, commercial citrus-producing areas and residential properties throughout the state. Additionally, sticky traps are placed at California fruit packing houses, specialty markets, retail stores and airports that receive such produce from areas known to be infested with ACP.
Since August 28, 2008, CDFA has detected small populations of ACP in portions of San Diego and Imperial counties, and has implemented an aggressive control and quarantine program to protect California from this invasive pest.
No HLB has been found in California.
CDFA and county agricultural commissioners have educational posters and pamphlets on ACP and HLB. CDFA partners with the USDA, the University of California, California citrus associations and other stakeholders on outreach and research efforts against this insect and the disease it spreads.
Contact the CDFA Toll-Free Pest Hotline (1-800-491-1899) to report suspicious insects or disease symptoms in your citrus trees. Help us protect California agriculture from invading pests and diseases.
Updated: 12/15/08