Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Pests”
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 …
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) recently issued an Extension advisory regarding citrus mealybug. Citrus mealybug feeds on plant sap and is commonly found in protected areas of the tree, including under the calyx of fruit, in clusters of leaves and within dense canopy growth. Mealybug infestations can reduce tree vigor, contaminate fruit with honeydew and sooty mold, …
A team of nine researchers led by University of California Davis (UC Davis) entomologist Mia Lippey recently published a paper on climate warming and the effect on agricultural pests. Their work, Field Data Challenge Predictions of Universal Crop Pest Proliferation Under Warming, appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It contradicts experiments indicating that arthropod crop pest densities will …
By Lukasz Stelinski For many Florida citrus growers, pest management has become closely tied to Asian citrus psyllid control. That is understandable. The psyllid vectors the bacterium associated with citrus greening, and long-term disease pressure has pushed many operations toward frequent insecticide use. But frequent spraying comes at a cost. The more often the same chemistry is used, the faster …
Sandipa Gautam, University of California area citrus integrated pest management (IPM) advisor, issued an Extension advisory for California red scale (CRS). The scale is a key pest of citrus in the San Joaquin Valley. Key points of the advisory are as follows: CRAWLERS ARE ACTIVE The CRS life cycle starts as crawlers produced by overwintering females from the past season. …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of more than $90 million under Section 7721 of the Plant Protection Act to support 441 projects that will: Of the 441 projects, 421 fall under the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program and 20 support the National Clean Plant Network. USDA will reserve approximately $17.2 million to support rapid …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) recently expanded the La Mesa Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine twice in San Diego County, California. On March 17, APHIS and CDFA expanded the quarantine following the confirmed detections on March 11 of one wild mated female Mexfly and …
By Jawwad A. Qureshi Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) is a novel system for large-scale citrus production in screen houses covered with a tightly woven mesh screen on all four sides and the roof. The primary goal of this shift from a traditional open orchard to a CUPS system is to protect citrus crops from huanglongbing (HLB) disease, which is …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) have expanded the area quarantined for citrus greening in California. APHIS established a new quarantined area in the Ramona area of San Diego County of 93 square miles. The agency also expanded the quarantined area in …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and state agriculture officials recently updated fruit fly quarantines in California and Texas. CALIFORNIA: ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY (OFF) On March 23, APHIS and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) removed the OFF quarantine in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, designated the Jurupa Valley quarantine. This …
