Apple moth quarantine lifted in Napa

By KERANA TODOROV
Register Staff Writer

Grapegrowers and others with properties near two sites where two light brown apple moths were discovered this summer can once again sell and ship plants and produce, now that the quarantine has been lifted, Napa County Agricultural Commissioner David Whitmer announced Tuesday.

The United States Department of Agriculture decided to lift the quarantine on areas where the moth has been found, provided no more of the moths are discovered. The quarantine remains in effect in other California counties, where hundreds of light brown apple moths have been found.

The first light brown apple moth was found in Napa County in May, near Solano Avenue at West F Street in Napa; the second apple moth was found in a trap in August on a property near Highway 29 and South Kelly Road.

Subsequently, a quarantine area was declared 1.5 miles around the two sites, affecting hundreds of properties. Crews placed pheromone-soaked twist ties in trees and shrubs to disrupt the moth’s mating cycle.

While the quarantine here has been lifted, Whitmer called for continued monitoring. “Both of these recent discoveries underscore the need for constant vigilance in protecting the resources of Napa County,” Whitmer said in a written statement.

Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Greg Clark said that while the quarantine was in place, agricultural inspectors investigated a total of about 45 vineyards in the two quarantined areas before harvest to make sure no light brown apple moths were present.

The traps will remain in place to make sure there is no further introduction of the insects, Clark said.

Originally from Australia, the light brown apple feeds on more than 250 varieties of plants, threatening the state’s $32 billion agricultural industry, according to the state Department of Food and Agriculture.

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