Insect in LA County Threatens California Citrus Industry

When an insect called Asian citrus psyllid turned up in Hacienda Heights in March, it threatened California’s $2 billion commercial citrus industry with citrus greening disease.

 And although Glendora lies outside the affected areas, city officials are alerting both commercial and residential citrus growers and advising residents to avoid purchasing citrus products from affected areas.

Los Angeles County authorities established a 93-square-mile quarantine area, including Hacienda Heights where citrus greening disease – also known as Hunglongbing (HLB) or Yellow Dragon Disease – was found in a residence. Infected Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) spreads bacterium that destroys citrus trees and plants.

The ACP bug was first identified in California in 2008, but the presence of greening disease is new.  Hosts for ACP and the citrus greening pathogen include nearly all citrus species and hybrids (i.e. orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat) as well as numerous citrus relatives in the Rutaceae family. 

Citrus greening can be difficult to detect since the host plants may remain symptomless for months or even years before showing signs of infection. 

Symptoms include yellow shoots, leaf mottle, small upright leaves, twig dieback, poor flowering, lopsided fruit, and bitter-tasting fruit. At present, there is no known cure or chemical control that specifically targets the bacterium causing HLB infection.   

While many plants that host ACP grow in the urban landscape and can be found in recycled green material, the USDA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture regulate the movement of green material within and from the quarantine area to prevent the spread of citrus greening.

Anyone planning to transport or haul green material within the affected areas must obtain a compliance agreement from their local county agricultural commissioner.

To obtain a Compliance Agreement, contact your local County Agricultural Commissioner. The agreement contains binding conditions for the movement and handling of green material, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

Prior to movement from the quarantined areas, haulers must safeguard green material by covering with a tarp or enclosing in a structure or container for transport.

Transporters/haulers must operate with a quarantine certification or compliance agreement to transport green waste only to approved receiving facilities operating under a compliance agreement.

Homeowners who self-haul their own green waste from within the quarantine zone shall follow the same protocols as other haulers.

-Provided by the City of Glendora