Six Asian citrus psyllids, vector of the destructive citrus greening disease, have been found in three traps southeast of Porterville, California and officials are placing hundreds of traps to determine if there are any more in the area.
As of Monday, inspectors had not discovered any new bugs, said Dennis Haines, agricultural staff biologist for Tulare County, as reported by the Fresno Bee.
No evidence of the disease has been found in the area, Haines said. Citrus greening has no known cure and has heavily impacted Florida's citrus industry, causing a $1.3 billion loss in revenue. The disease also has been found in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina.
About 500 traps will be placed around each of the sites and will be checked routinely, noted Haines.
"If there is anything to indicate a breeding population then that will trigger additional action," Haines said, which could include restrictions on the movement of fruit and plant material from the affected area.
