Author Topic: HLB Getting Worse in California  (Read 4544 times)

Millet

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HLB Getting Worse in California
« on: December 19, 2017, 11:46:07 AM »
This time it was 61 trees found with the deadly HLB disease, not the usual 2 or 3 trees as in the past finds.

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/217/12/18/dozens-of-trees-with-incurable-disease-found-in-pico-rivera/
« Last Edit: December 19, 2017, 11:49:44 AM by Millet »

countryboy1981

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2017, 05:32:42 PM »
Unfortunately without a cure I do not see the spread of HLB in California slowing down.  There just isn't enough of cold temperature drops to decrease the ACP population.

Samu

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2017, 01:51:46 AM »
Oh boy! The paper listed they found and removed infected trees from the cities of Anaheim and Garden Grove too, they are only 9-10 miles away from me, so looks like all my 7-8 citrus trees are in real danger??
I haven't even tasted my precious Pummelo, Cara cara, Golden Nugget (and few more) yet!!

Anyone knows how to prevent this pest from attacking the citrus trees?
Sam

Isaac-1

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2017, 10:20:27 AM »
If anyone had a solution that did not involve a fine mesh screen and positive pressure ventilation they would make a fortune.

starch

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2017, 10:34:41 AM »
You could introduce plants into your yard that attract predators that hunt the citrus psyllid

https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2017/09/11/there-is-such-a-thing-as-good-bugs-in-the-garden-heres-how-to-invite-them/
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Citradia

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2017, 10:21:36 PM »
Having bugs that eat psillids doesn't help your trees; one bite from an infected psillid (assume they're all infected), and your tree(s) is doomed. Unless you're in a northern climate with greenhoused citrus, your stuff is doomed. We need genetic immunity bred into citrus to save species for home growers. I still wonder if other native members of the rue family such as the toothache tree may be vectors to carry greening into northern states; would be bad if we even lost poncyrus in New England.

starch

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2017, 09:25:01 AM »
Having bugs that eat psillids doesn't help your trees; one bite from an infected psillid (assume they're all infected), and your tree(s) is doomed.

My point is that if you establish a predator colony in your yard before your trees are infected, then the predators serve to help to prevent your trees becoming infected in the first place.

The best way to not have a disease isn't curing it, it is to not get it in the first place
- Mark

Isaac-1

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2017, 01:09:44 PM »
I too have my doubts about predators helping prevent your trees from becoming infected, though if implemented on a wide scale they may help reduce the spread of HLB.  The simple fact is by the time infected ACP show up on your property the chances of the predators getting all of them before any of them feed on your citrus trees is very low.  Think of it a bit like the old video game Missile Attack, it only takes one getting through.

starch

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2017, 03:12:33 PM »
I too have my doubts about predators helping prevent your trees from becoming infected, though if implemented on a wide scale they may help reduce the spread of HLB.  The simple fact is by the time infected ACP show up on your property the chances of the predators getting all of them before any of them feed on your citrus trees is very low.  Think of it a bit like the old video game Missile Attack, it only takes one getting through.

Agreed, but I think you guys are missing my point

There is HLB in CA. There are psyllids in CA. Psyllids can carry HLB.

**BUT**

The HLB problem is not as widespread in CA (yet) as it is in FL.

So as a pre-emptive action, people should establish psyllid predator-friendly plants now to encourage those populations to establish in your yards *before* the psyllid (which likely carry HLB) starts to find your trees.

This is my advice to all people who have citrus but have not become victim of a psyllid infestation yet.

But it is also good advice for infested homes as well because it will keep down the population of psyllids which means the numbers will be lower and will spread less quickly to non-infested areas.
- Mark

Millet

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2017, 03:25:40 PM »
The state of California is already releasing thousands (if not millions) of HLB predator wasps.  Florida is also doing the same.   What Starch is recommending may not work in the long run,, but it does help some, and certainly does not hurt.   Will it stop HLB, probably not.    As to the spread of HLB in California, I believe it has spread far worse then it is known. Remember, it takes 2 plus years before any symptoms appear.

fyliu

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2017, 03:45:23 PM »
Right. It could still help if maybe 1 in 1000 psyllids carry HLB. If you can eliminate half of that population (via predators or pesticides), you have a good chance of removing the 1 that's critical. That's why they remove all the infected trees, to reduce the amount of HLB available for the psyllids to spread.

Since predators only respond to the prey's population, there's always going to be casualties if nearly all the psyllids carry HLB, which is not the case yet. Predators can't have a large population if there's no prey to feed on. Predators either leave or die off.

starch

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #11 on: December 21, 2017, 04:36:09 PM »
Right. It could still help if maybe 1 in 1000 psyllids carry HLB. If you can eliminate half of that population (via predators or pesticides), you have a good chance of removing the 1 that's critical. That's why they remove all the infected trees, to reduce the amount of HLB available for the psyllids to spread.

Since predators only respond to the prey's population, there's always going to be casualties if nearly all the psyllids carry HLB, which is not the case yet. Predators can't have a large population if there's no prey to feed on. Predators either leave or die off.

Hey Fang, thanks. That is helping to articulate what I was getting at. No one really knows the proportion of psyllids that carry HLB. Certainly not all do. And the density of those that do will certainly vary from area to area.

I am not suggesting that this is the only line of defense that is needed. But it will certainly help, and most definitely won't hurt. This is a systemic problem and this would be part of a family of solutions.

Regarding to predators leaving if there is no prey: That is true. However, most of the predators listed in the link that I posted feed on many types of pests, not just psyllids. So establishing those plants to attract the predators now means they will be around feeding on other pests and will eat psyllids if/when they show up in your yard. Not a complete solution I know, but anything to help knock down the population from spreading is ultimately a good thing.
- Mark

matt_citrus

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2017, 09:51:26 PM »
I see ACP all the time (even today, in the winter) on the citrus in Westchester. If I look daily, I see them daily. 100% certain of ID, they're just under the size of the exclamation mark "!" on a standard keyboard and in the conventional head-down-diagonal feeding position. Neighbors who have used imidacloprid products haven't seen a significant reduction in population.

What worries me is that they don't stop at just the newer/younger growth, but also have been attacking the hardened leaves (and once, even saw one trying to feed on a thorn). Year-round concern.

But the hope is that they aren't (currently) carrying HLB.

Millet

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #13 on: December 24, 2017, 10:43:17 AM »
HLB has not been stopped anywhere in the world . Not once. 

Millet

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2017, 09:53:06 PM »
More than 285 infected trees have been discovered and removed in the California. The most of those are in Los Angeles County, but they have also been found in Orange and Riverside counties. The number of trees infected in Los Angeles County more than doubled in the past six months. So significant has been the spread of the disease in southern California, the department of agriculture has taken steps to further reduce the spread of both the psyllid and HBL. This month the state filed a request for an emergency decision to establish regional quarantine areas, mostly aimed at Southern California.  (The Citrus Industry)

arc310

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #15 on: January 12, 2018, 11:37:39 PM »
this was shown on my fb feed tonight....



pineislander

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #16 on: January 13, 2018, 07:29:11 AM »
Rather strange that Cali didn't already go with CUPS nurseries as Florida did a decade ago.

JJROSS54

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #17 on: January 13, 2018, 08:25:50 AM »
I really wonder what this means for us in Arizona, almost all of the new trees in the big box stores come from California nursery's, is this how it will eventually spread to our state?

Millet

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #18 on: January 13, 2018, 11:41:20 AM »
arc310, in your post the photo asks residence to report any possible sightings of HLB to the California authorities.  In Matt-citrus post  he did just that, and they as of yet never came out, nor would they do the work, but rather ask him to do all the leg work. Whats that??

arc310

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #19 on: January 13, 2018, 12:54:27 PM »
sorry..i am not sure. i've just recently gotten into keeping fruit trees and am still learning alot and catching up with reading old posts on this forum. i've begun to really appreciate older trees and at my parents house they have lots of fruits trees that were there before i was born so i've taken a stronger interest in keeping them healthy. i'll post if i get more info if i come across it on fb.

forumfool

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #20 on: January 13, 2018, 10:35:21 PM »
You could plant some guava too, might help and they are tasty.

http://journals.fcla.edu/fshs/article/viewFile/87357/84136

fyliu

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Re: HLB Getting Worse in California
« Reply #21 on: January 13, 2018, 11:13:03 PM »
This is not ACP-related but has to do with the authorities. I called the number for med fly quarantine this week for my area in Southern California and the guy was very interested. He did want me to trap one for testing. That's because they released a lot of sterile ones and it's impossible to tell from a clear photo. I live just a little outside the quarantine area and it would mean expanding the quarantine if my fly was normal. I wasn't able to get one but I will if I ever see another one.