The Asian citrus psyllid and Huanglongbing could be a death sentence for California citrus trees – but with support from California residents, we can save the citrus trees that we all know and love.
California is the number one fresh citrus producing state in the nation, and California homeowners have more citrus trees in their yards than any other state in the country. But now our beloved citrus trees are in danger.
The Asian citrus psyllid (a tiny brown insect that showed up in Florida in 1998) is spreading throughout California and it can carry a tree disease called Huanglongbing (HLB). Although HLB is not harmful to humans, there is no cure for citrus trees. Together, the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB are a certain death sentence for California citrus. But by working together, we can all save our citrus trees.
Homeowners play an important role in protecting citrus trees in our state, and are being asked to protect their backyard citrus trees by searching for signs of the pest and disease.
Fighting the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB is the collaborative effort of numerous parties – Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program, California Department of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture – and you.
Please help us encourage California residents to join this fight by airing this PSA spot and alerting them to report any suspicious pests or signs of HLB to the California Department of Food and Agriculture hotline: 800-491-1899. For more information, visit CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org.
