The City of Fullerton is doing its part to raise awareness for Huanglongbing, which has been detected in citrus trees.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture recently detected Huanglongbing (HLB), an incurable plant disease, in an orange tree and a mandarin tree in a residential area of Cerritos, which puts Fullerton’s backyard citrus trees at risk.
Portions of Fullerton are under quarantine, which means citrus plants can’t be sold within the area, and citrus plants or plant cuttings shouldn’t leave the quarantine area.
HLB is not harmful to humans or animals, but it kills citrus trees. There is no cure for the disease and once infected, trees must be removed to prevent the disease from spreading in the community. While researchers are looking for a cure to HLB, right now the best way to protect against the disease is to stop the pest that can infect citrus trees. The Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program recommends the following actions:
• Do not transport citrus trees out of your local area.
• Only purchase citrus trees from local, reputable nurseries, and never bring citrus trees or plant cuttings into California from other states or countries.
• Cooperate with agriculture officials working throughout the state to stop the pest and disease.
• Inspect citrus trees regularly for signs of the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB. Report symptoms by calling 800-491-1899 and requesting a free inspection by trained agriculture officials.
Visit CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org for more information and photos of the pest and disease. We must work together to help save our community’s citrus.