San Luis Obispo County is once again trying to track and trap some pesky bugs, the Asian citrus psyllid, which threatens millions of dollars worth of area citrus crops.
One of the pests was recently discovered in an insect trap within a residential neighborhood in the Laguna Lake area. A quarantine restricting the movement of citrus nursery stock and citrus fruit is being established by California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Two weeks ago another of the pests was discovered on orchard in the South County, near the Santa Barbara County line, prompting a similar quarantine.
Last year the insects turned up in Cayucos and in the City of San Luis Obispo. Other outbreaks have stayed in the South County with two in Arroyo Grande. The psyllids are feared because they spread a disease called “citrus greening.”
The disease causes, “yellowing of the veins and adjacent tissues; followed by yellowing or mottling of the entire leaf; followed by premature defoliation, dieback of twigs, decay of feeder rootlets and lateral roots, and decline in vigor; and followed by, ultimately, the death of the entire plant.”
There is no known cure for the disease meaning that if it spread, the regional citrus crop worth  $17 million in 2014 could be at risk.
So far, said SLO County’s Ag Commissioner’s Office, there has been no further unusual activity at the site in South County or the two previously identified in Arroyo Grande. All are being intensely monitored for signs of infection or infestation.
Top help keep residential trees safe; check landscaping often for signs of unusual symptoms or strange insects. Contact the local University of California Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener Program at 781-5939 for help identifying unusual plant symptoms or pests.