USDA photo by David Bartels
Federal and state agriculture officials recently expanded the areas quarantined for citrus greening disease in California. They expanded the quarantined area in the Coto de Caza area of Orange County by 11 square miles, the Rancho Santa Margarita area of Orange County by 93 square miles, the Perris area of Riverside County by 37 square miles, and the Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernadino areas of San Bernadino County by 88 square miles
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), made the quarantine expansions. They parallel the intrastate quarantines that CDFA established on May 19 (Orange and San Bernadino counties), June 17 (Orange County) and July 1 (Riverside County).
The actions were taken because of citrus greening detections in plant tissue samples collected from residential properties in Orange, Riverside and San Bernadino counties. There are 1.44 acres of commercial citrus impacted by this expansion.
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and federal orders pertaining to the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas in California. This is necessary to prevent the spread of citrus greening to non-infested areas of the United States.
The APHIS Citrus Greening website contains specific changes to the quarantined areas in California. The site includes the following “what to look for” information about the Asian citrus psyllid that spreads citrus greening disease:
- Eggs are yellow-orange and almond-shaped. They are often tucked inside crevices and leaf folds.
- Nymphs are difficult to see, but leave behind waxy, white excretions on plants.
- Adult psyllids are gnat-sized, only about 1/8-inch long. When approached, they jump or fly.
- Adults have three abdominal colors: blue-green, gray-brown or orange-yellow.
- Adults have mottled brown wings, and the last two segments of their antennae are black.
Source: APHIS
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