The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), working in cooperation with the Sacramento County Agricultural Commissioner, has placed Sacramento County under a plant pest quarantine for the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) following the detection of one ACP in Sacramento’s Lemon Hill area. The entire county is included in the quarantine zone. A quarantine is a regulatory program designed to limit the artificial movement of ACP host plants, thereby isolating the insect and limiting the spread of the pest. A map is available online at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/acp/regulation.html
The quarantine prohibits the movement of citrus and curry leaf tree nursery stock and all plant parts except fruit out of the quarantine area and requires that all citrus fruit be cleaned of leaves and stems prior to moving out of the quarantine area. Residents with backyard citrus trees in Sacramento are asked not to transport or send citrus fruit or leaves, potted citrus trees, or curry leaves from the quarantine area.
The ACP is an invasive species of grave concern because it can carry the bacteria that causes the disease Huanglongbing (HLB) and can transmit the disease to host plants. All citrus, including oranges, mandarins, lemons, kumquats, pomelos, and limes, and related plants, such as curry leaf trees, are susceptible hosts for both the insect and disease.There is no cure once a tree becomes infected with HLB. The diseased tree will decline in health, produce bitter, misshapen fruit, and eventually die. In California, HLB has been detected at residential properties in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. This plant disease does not affect human health.
ACP quarantines are in place in 28 California counties. Residents in the area who think they may have seen ACP or symptoms of HLB on their trees are urged to call CDFA’s Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899 or the Sacramento County Agricultural Commissioner at 916-875-6603. For more information on ACP and HLB, please visit: www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/acp
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