A new quarantine area was recently declared following the detection of Huanglongbing (HLB) in a single citrus tree in an unincorporated area of San Bernardino County, near Montclair. The discovery marks the first time the disease has been detected in the county. The 93-square mile quarantine area will link up with existing quarantines in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, creating a contiguous quarantine area of more than 1,000 square miles.
There has now been a total of 1,666 trees identified as being infected with HLB, with 264 Asian Citrus Psyllids testing positive for the bacterium on nearly 1,200 sites. Aside from the latest discovery in San Bernardino County, all other infected trees have been located in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. To date, all of the HLB detections have been made on residential properties.
The infected trees have been, or are being removed, and ACP treatments are being applied on a recurring basis to the remaining citrus in those areas. Fortunately, there has yet to be any HLB detected in any commercial groves. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has a host of resources available to monitor detections around the state, as well as other information for prevention and best practices.
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