Big concerns in the desert growing region of California following the discovery of a destructive pest. It’s been more than a year since the first South American Palm Weevil was found in a trap in Imperial County. State Ag officials say so far, there’s no infestation. But the palm weevil can cause fatal damage while in the larval stage by tunneling and feeding on a palm tree. That’s what worries folks who sell palms and those who harvest the date palm crop. Jobs and millions of dollars are at stake. Rachel Nilson, plant pathologist and entomologist for the Imperial County Ag Commissioners office says the first line of detection is a huge network of traps. Nilson says there’s no need to issue a quarantine at this point. And everyone hopes it stays that way.
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