By Khalida Sarwari
Agriculture officials announced this week that a recent detection of two European grapevine moths in insect traps in the Aptos and Watsonville areas of Santa Cruz County has prompted a quarantine of 87 square miles of land.
The European grapevine moth, or Lobesia botrana, was first detected in Napa County in late 2009 and since then further isolated infestations have been detected in areas of Santa Clara County, among others.
In an effort to stop further spread of the insect, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have imposed a quarantine restricting transport of certain agricultural products and regulating the harvest, shipping and handling of affected crops and plants, such as grapes and stone fruit trees.
Those who handle such items are asked to harvest and consume their fruit on-site to limit the risk of spreading the pest.
“The quarantine allows us to protect surrounding areas by preventing movement of the insects on crops, harvesting equipment and related articles,” California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross said in a statement. “It’s an important step toward controlling and eventually eradicating an infestation.”
Inspectors are reaching out to growers, farmers and the agricultural community to make sure the quarantine regulations are understood and abided by.
For maps of the quarantined regions, visit http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/PE/InteriorExclusion/egvm_quarantine.html.