FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – All of Fresno County is now under a citrus quarantine over a tiny bug able to wipe out an entire crop.
The Asian citrus psyllid remains a huge concern for Valley growers.
The bugs are the size of a grain of rice but can carry a disease called HLB (huanglongbing) that is deadly to trees, and the Central Valley citrus crops.
Agriculture Commissioner Les Wright says there is no cure for the citrus greening or huanglongbing disease that wiped out the citrus crops in Florida, and it’s been a problem in Southern California for years.
One problem is that It can be 3 to 5 years before symptoms manifest in citrus trees.
In the last six months, Commissioner Wright says they’ve have 20 new psyllid finds in Fresno County, so they decided to extend the quarantine to the entire county.
The quarantine means more restrictions will be in place, and Wright is warning residents not to bring citrus trees or nursery stock from outside the county.
Click below to listen to the story by KMJ News Reporter Liz Kern:
