Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Pests”
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) recently hosted a field day and seminar on citrus under protective screen (CUPS) and individual protective covers at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. While CUPS exclude the HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids from the structures, other pests can slip through the mesh barrier and cause problems. …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on Oct. 7 the establishment of a West Indian fruit fly quarantine in Port Isabel, Cameron County, Texas. APHIS took the action in cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). The action parallels the quarantine established by TDA on Aug. 21. APHIS is taking this action …
By Lauren Diepenbrock Fall in Florida is not generally a time for insect, mite and other invertebrate pest populations to decline rapidly. In Florida citrus, we often see the opposite of this. MITES In the hot, dry end of summer and early fall, mite populations often soar, requiring management to prevent excessive damage to fruits. See The Florida Citrus Production …
Cold-hardy citrus producers are about a month away from harvesting this year’s crop. A lot can happen during that time. What is beyond the grower’s control is what most concerns Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and co-owner of JoNina Farm in Ochlocknee, Georgia. “We personally experienced last year a 40-year hailstorm. So that’s always a possibility …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), recently expanded the La Mesa Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in San Diego County, California. APHIS took this action to parallel the intrastate quarantine that CDFA implemented. On June 16, CDFA established a Mexfly quarantine in response …
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has announced there is one vacancy on the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC). The committee advises the CDFA secretary on activities associated with the statewide citrus-specific pest and disease work plan. The work plan includes but is not limited to outreach and education programs as well as programs for surveying, …
A new initiative aims to strengthen the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) ability to respond rapidly when a new invasive pest or plant disease threatens. Edward “Gilly” Evans, director of the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC), launched the Challenge 250 initiative. Named in recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary, it aims to raise …
Chilli thrips’ damage in Florida citrus under protective screen (CUPS) should motivate growers to manage weeds more effectively. Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor and entomologist, shared that advice during this year’s Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo in Fort Myers, Florida. Diepenbrock said chilli thrips feed on citrus trees but they also …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Hildalgo County, Texas, designated the Peñitas-Granjeno quarantine. The action was taken in cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). It releases 58.66 square miles from quarantine, including 45.03 acres of commercial citrus. APHIS originally established the quarantine, restricting …
By Lauren Diepenbrock Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis Invicta), commonly referred to as fire ants, are commonplace throughout Florida. The pest infests a broad range of habitats, including urban sites, natural areas and production fields. In citrus, a range of impacts from this pest are seen. From a human health perspective, fire ant stings can cause symptoms from mild irritation …
The threat of Asian citrus psyllids to cold-hardy citrus does not mean growers should ignore other insects and their potential impacts in North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama. The citrus red mite should be a concern for growers, especially in the spring and if certain weather conditions persist, explains Apurba Barman, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor of entomology …
Fruit fly quarantines impacting commercial citrus have been removed in Texas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). SAPOTE FRUIT FLY APHIS and TDA removed the sapote fruit fly (Anastrepha serpentina) quarantines in Cameron and Hildalgo counties. The quarantines included the Harlingen and Rio Hondo …
Federal and state agriculture officials have taken actions regarding Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) and sweet orange scab (SOS) quarantines in California. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) updated the quarantines. MEDFLY QUARANTINE REMOVED The agencies removed the Medfly quarantine in Alameda and Santa …
Citrus rust mite (CRM) populations in Texas often reach peak levels from late spring through early fall, researchers with Texas A&M University-Kingsville Citrus Center reported. The researchers, Tolulope Agunbiade and Mamoudou Sétamou, offered background on CRM and management practices in “Citrus Rust Mite, Tiny but Mighty for the Texas Citrus Industry,” an article in the first edition of the university’s …
State, local and federal agriculture officials have eradicated a Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) infestation centered in and around the City of San Jose, California. The eradication ends a 241-square-mile quarantine that began on Aug. 19, 2025. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Santa Clara County and Alameda County agricultural commissioner’s …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (USDA APHIS) Medfly Program turned 50 years old in 2025. The pioneering international partnership has provided a critical line of defense against the destructive Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly). Launched in 1975 in collaboration with Mexico and Guatemala, the Medfly Program has evolved into a global model for pest management. …
A naturally occurring predatory soil mite may one day become another tool for helping citrus growers manage citrus nematodes without relying solely on chemical controls. That’s according to a new study published in the journal Biology by Mahmoud M. Al-Azzazy and Suloiman M. Al-Rehiayani of the Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Food at Qassim University in Saudi …
Apurba Barman, assistant entomology professor at the University of Georgia (UGA), recently wrote about citrus leafminer (CLM) damage resuming in Georgia groves. His article provided management recommendations, including timing of insecticides. Edited excerpts follow: PEST DAMAGE As the temperature rises, so does the potential for CLM attack. CLM is a serious pest resulting in feeding damage to young shoots and …
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 …
Classical biological control is having a very significant impact on populations of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) in Cyprus, according to Ángel Marhuenda, director general of common agricultural policy for the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA). ACP is the vector of huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Marhuenda said, however, that “the detection of residual populations of the vector indicates that continued …
