Improving ACP and HLB Control in Residential Settings

By Romain Exilien and Xavier Martini

Residential gardens serve as reservoirs for Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) and citrus greening disease (also known as huanglongbing or HLB) due to unmanaged citrus trees. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) conducted a survey to assess residents’ needs regarding ACP and HLB management. The survey examined their current control strategies and explored residents’ willingness to adopt new strategies, such as individual protective covers (IPCs) and reflective mulch.

Florida residents were shown these photos to determine if they could identify Asian citrus psyllids.

The survey revealed a gap in ACP identification among residents. While 72.4% could identify an adult psyllid from a high-quality macroscopic photo, only 5% reported seeing it on their trees. However, when shown a larger image displaying ACP life stages and symptoms, 39.6% of residents claimed to have found it on their property.

The survey also highlighted residents’ interest in managing ACP and HLB, as well as their willingness to seek integrated solutions for these issues in urban areas. Notably, 76% of respondents agreed to remove HLB-infected trees from their backyards. Furthermore, 86% expressed readiness to invest in effective ACP control measures, with a preference for biological control, organic insecticides and repellents. They were more skeptical about novel tactics like reflective mulch and tree bagging.

Based on these findings, key areas for educational workshops were identified to improve ACP and HLB control in residential settings:

1. Training residents to accurately identify all stages of ACP and HLB symptoms in situ
2. Promoting the removal of HLB trees, which is more accepted among Florida residents than anticipated
3. Creating hands-on activities to promote the use of reflective mulch and IPCs
4. Being ready to provide recommendations regarding biological control and biopesticide solutions, as they are usually preferred over conventional insecticides

Six workshops were organized in North Florida counties where most residents struggle to identify adult psyllids in the field. Following the workshop, 76% were open to testing IPCs and reflective mulch, and 89% agreed to remove HLB-infected trees from their backyards. The workshops proved that it is possible to change participants’ behavior regarding psyllid monitoring and citrus greening management.

Romain Exilien is a pre-doc fellow, and Xavier Martini is an assistant professor, both at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy.

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