No More Backyard Citrus? Presented by: Mark Olson Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program M. Rogers

California Citrus Value Our citrus industry is worth $2 Billion. Citrus industry submits taxes in excess of $500 million annually. Millions of Californians have citrus trees in their backyards. More backyard citrus exists than the amount of citrus in commercial groves in California. Bullet 1: That’s more than the profits of Allstate Insurance, Amazon, and even Starbucks. Bullet 4: Our state government also relies on citrus for a significant amount of revenue. M. Rogers

The Pest The Asian Citrus Psyllid (pronounced sil – lid) was originally found in Asia and has made its way to the United States. This insect is about the size of the tip of a pen, or a grain of rice. Eggs – yellow – very small Nymphs – juveniles Adults – can fly, and pose the greatest risk for jumping from one plant to another M. Rogers

The Disease Huanglongbing (HLB) Also known as “citrus greening disease” Not harmful to humans or pets No cure A death sentence for California citrus trees Destroys production, appearance, taste and economic value. Florida is losing 5-10 percent of crops per year ($300 million annually). M. Rogers

Psyllid in Southern California Nearly 8,000 detections of the ACP thru October 2011 in Mexico and California. In 2009, officials recorded 1,900 psyllid finds. In 2010, officials recorded nearly 3,300 psyllid finds. How many in 2011? M. Rogers

Call to Action for Homeowners Inspect monthly or whenever watering. Look in the new shoots. We need your help. With 7 out of 10 homeowners having a citrus tree in their backyards, we need the help of area residents.

If You Find It Call CA Food and Agriculture Hotline 1-800-491-1899 Take a photograph Include something to compare size Citrus trees within 400 meters may be treated if the psyllid is found

Treatment Two types of insecticides are used within a week on the citrus trees. Tempo – used indoor and outdoor for common pests Merit – used also as flea treatment for dogs and cats (Advantage) Mail notification Door-to-door inspection Favorable results – very cooperative homeowners More than 70,000 backyard trees have been treated. First off, there are no flying black helicopters spraying unknown pesticides over entire communities.

Saving California Citrus Riverside Diagnostic Laboratory Studying other insects to combat the psyllid Public can help by checking their trees and reporting suspicious bugs Talk to neighbors and family members Stay informed – follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Twitter: http://twitter.com/citrusthreat Facebook: http://facebook.com/californiacitrusthreat Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program: Website: www.californiacitrusthreat.org Like I said before, there are a lot of entities spending considerable resources suppressing the ACP. The CPDPP has a laboratory in Riverside that is testing thousands of psyllids and plant materials each week. The University of Riverside is doing a pilot study about a wasp that is the natural enemy of the psyllid. But, really, defense starts at the home. We need residents to check their trees – at least monthly for the ACP. Stay informed. We have the latest information about

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