Asian citrus psyllid
California’s citrus industry is seriously under attack by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and the disease it carries. Dogs are now being called in to aid in protecting these valuable crops.
Canine Citrus Pest Control!
A team of researchers, mostly from Florida, visited several citrus production sites in California earlier this month. They had with them a group of dogs known for their ability to sniff out a different problem insect, the one that spreads citrus canker. These dogs are now being evaluated for their ability to detect the ACP or the disease it spreads, known as huanglongbing (HLB).
Dogs are being used in Florida to locate trees infected by citrus canker and they have been able to identify infected trees before any of canker’s symptoms are visible.
Florida’s $9 billion citrus industry has been impacted the most by the ACP and has seen a 41% drop in citrus production. About 97% of Florida oranges are used to make juice.
California produces about 80% of our nation’s fresh citrus fruit and this threat of the ACP must be taken seriously. Dogs have been used to sniff out bombs, drugs and bed bugs. Let’s hope they can help us with this problem, too.
