A tiny insect no bigger than a grain of rice may go unnoticed on citrus trees, but it could have devastating consequences for California citrus if not stopped, and now it has been detected in new areas of Fontana.
The Asian citrus psyllid feeds on citrus leaves and stems, and can infect citrus trees with a bacteria that causes a serious plant disease called Huanglongbing, also known as HLB or citrus greening disease. While not harmful to humans, the disease kills citrus trees and has no cure, state agricultural leaders said.
The best way to protect citrus trees from HLB is to stop the Asian citrus psyllid. Once a tree is infected with HLB, it will die. Diseased trees need to be removed in order to protect other citrus trees on the property, neighborsâ trees and the communityâs citrus.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture will be holding a free public webinar meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 24 from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss new quarantine boundaries for parts of Fontana.
For meeting presentation materials (in both English and Spanish), registration and more details, visit awm.sbcounty.gov or call Agriculture/Weights and Measures at (909) 387-2105. The webinar will be held on the GoTo app and the ID number is 667-643-987.
Residents can find out information relating to their neighborhood with local quarantines at https://gis2.cdfa.ca.gov/Plant/CitrusQuarantines/.
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