Pest Tracker Flags Citrus Greening

Mexican fruit fly in Texas. Citrus greening in California. Imported fire ants in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. Ever wonder what sort of pests your state is currently under quarantine for? While researching the Mexican fruit fly, I came across a USDA APHIS pest tracker that allows you to drill down by state and see current quarantine activity.

The pest tracker helps you find out whether your state has a federal quarantine, a state level quarantine, or both for any hungry pests. According to USDA APHIS, hungry pests are invasive species that threaten crops and trees and, if left unchecked, can devastate agricultural industries, eliminate jobs, threaten the food supply, and cost billions of dollars.

In California, the map highlights citrus greening across parts of the southern and southwest regions of the state. Citrus greening is a bacterial disease that attacks citrus trees, reduces fruit production, and eventually kills the tree. There is no cure once a tree becomes infected. While the disease poses no risk to people or animals, it has devastated citrus production in other parts of the world, including Florida. To explore current quarantines in your state, visit https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/fruit-flies