More than 100 square miles near Hollister have been placed under quarantine for the Asian citrus psyllid, a pest that can be a carrier of a disease that is devastating to citrus trees.
A single female insect was found on a lemon tree in Hollister’s residential area April 11, and 20 days later the California Department of Food & Agriculture placed the area covering 106 square miles around it in quarantine.
The zone includes the Hollister Municipal Airport, all of downtown and a significant part of the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area.
The discovery of the pest is of “grave concern” because the insect can carry the disease huanglongbing, which causes an infected tree to decline in health and produce bitter, misshaped fruit until it dies, according to a statement from the county agricultural commissioner’s office. There is no cure once a tree becomes infected.
In March, sections of two other California counties were placed in quarantine including Fresno County on March 3 and neighboring Madera County on March 23. A section of Santa Clara County in the San Jose area was also put in quarantine Jan. 27. San Benito County shares borders with two of these counties: Fresno and Santa Clara.
To see a map of the quarantined area, go to the California Department of Food & Agriculture’s website: cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pe/InteriorExclusion/acp_quarantine.html#maps.
