Photo courtesy of University of California, Riverside
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is responding after invasive glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) insects were found on shipments of grapevines sold at select Costco locations in Northern California between April 21 and May 19.
GWSS spreads the bacterium that causes Pierce’s disease, a fatal grapevine disease that threatens California vineyards. It can also damage citrus trees, landscape plants and other crops.
CDFA’s Pierce’s Disease Control Program, in coordination with the county agricultural commissioners and Costco, are actively responding to the situation. Early detection and rapid response are critical to preventing the pest from spreading further.
The infested nursery stock came from Burchell Nursery in Fresno. Fresno County agricultural commissioner staff and CDFA personnel have been working on-site since May 19 to stop shipments, investigate the situation and determine corrective actions.
State and local agriculture officials identified the issue quickly and immediately began response and containment efforts. County agricultural commissioners in affected areas are conducting inspections, responding to public reports, coordinating trapping efforts and helping ensure potentially infested plants are safely contained and disposed of.
Costco has been working cooperatively with CDFA to notify customers, issue refunds and help connect purchasers with local county agricultural commissioner offices for inspection and disposal guidance.
“If you purchased a grapevine from Costco in an affected county during that timeframe, contact your local county agricultural commissioner’s office right away,” the CDFA website urges.
Affected counties are Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Humboldt, Kings, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, Yolo and Yuba.
Get more information from the CDFA about recommended actions and other details.
Learn more from University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources about the glassy-winged sharpshooter.
Source: Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program
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