The first case of Asian Citrus Psyllid has been found in Arroyo Grande. The County Department of Agriculture has issued a quarantine with a 5 mile radius around the home with the discovered pest. (84 square miles!)
How will this affect our gleaning activities?
The pest is found on the leaves and stems of the trees, not the fruit. So we will still be able to harvest in the quarantined area, but absolutely no green matter can leave the harvest site… Short stems, no leaves, no branches. All pruners will be washed in a bleach solution after harvesting. More info can be found here.
Thanks for helping us be cautious with this problem. The Asian Citrus Psyllid can carry a disease called Huanglongbing (HLB) that will kill citrus trees. There is no known cure for HLB, the health of the tree will continue to decline until it dies. Currently, in SLO County, the Asian Citrus Psyllid pest (which carries HLB) has been found in the area, but not the HLB disease. Let’s help keep it that way!