Mexfly

Mexfly Quarantine Removed in Texas

Josh McGillPests, Regulation, Texas

Federal and state authorities on Aug. 10 removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine area in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas. This area was a portion of the Harlingen-Lyford-Weslaco quarantine. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). On April 8, APHIS and TDA established …

quarantine areas

Texas Mexfly Quarantine Area Reduced

Josh McGillPests, Regulation, Texas

Federal and state agriculture officials on Aug. 18 released portions of the Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine area. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) after three Mexfly life-cycles elapsed with no additional detections in these areas. As a …

Water Shortage Is Latest Texas Citrus Concern

Josh McGillTexas, Water

A little more than 20 inches of rain has fallen on Dale Murden’s Texas grapefruit grove in 2022 — “about average for the year,” he says. But the majority of Texas is in severe drought, and that poses problems for Murden and other Texas growers, especially for the future. “We just are not seeing any rain or significant inflows in …

Mexfly

Texas Mexfly Updates Issued

Josh McGillPests, Regulation, Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in late June announced updates regarding Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantines in Texas: On April 29, APHIS and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) established a Mexfly quarantine in Lyford, Willacy County, Texas. APHIS and TDA established the Lyford quarantine following the confirmed detection of a mature …

quarantine areas

Mexfly Actions Taken in Texas

Josh McGillPests, Regulation, Texas

Federal and state authorities recently established one Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Texas and expanded another. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). On April 8, the agencies established a Mexfly quarantine in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas. They established the Weslaco quarantine …

Texas Region Plans Citrus Revival

Josh McGillCitrus, Texas

The area of Falfurrias, Texas, was a very prosperous citrus-growing region from 1909 until 1951, according to Romulo Montilla, who has a ranch there. “However, in 1951 there was a freezing temperature that killed close to 90% of the citrus. In 1967, the remaining citrus was eliminated with another terrible freeze.” Montilla and others recently began working to return citrus …

Mexfly quarantine

Mexfly Quarantines Expanded in Texas

Josh McGillPests, Regulation, Texas

Federal and state agriculture agencies on March 22 established a new Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Zapata County, Texas, and expanded the Brownsville and Harlingen quarantine areas in Cameron County. On March 30, the agencies expanded the Palmview quarantine area in Hidalgo County. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service …

Mexfly quarantine

Funding to Protect Texas Citrus

Josh McGillCitrus, Texas

A significant portion of the $3 million the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating to Texas for pest detection, surveillance, identification and threat mitigation is targeted to the state’s citrus industry. Among other citrus-related projects, the USDA is including money to aid Texas in the control of Asian citrus psyllids and the HLB disease they spread. “Texas has more …

citrus canker

Texas Canker Quarantine Expanded Again

Josh McGillCitrus, Diseases, Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) have established five new quarantine areas for citrus canker in Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties, Texas. They also expanded two existing quarantine areas for citrus canker in Brazoria, Fort Bend and Harris Counties, Texas, to prevent the spread of the disease. …

Texas Freeze Update: Fruit Is Sparse

Ernie Nefffreeze, Texas

Surviving citrus trees in South Texas have bounced back from extreme freeze during Winter Storm Uri in February, but fruit is sparse this season, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension horticulturist Juan Anciso.   An AgriLife Extension study estimated the severe freeze caused $230 million in damage to Texas’ citrus industry. Around 80% of the orange crop and almost 70% of …