-
If you want breaking news sent to your email just click here.More >> If you want breaking news sent to your email just click here.More >>
APTOS, Calif.- The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture declared eradication of the European Grapevine Moth from Santa Cruz County.
A portion of the county, Aptos and the northern part of Watsonville, was placed under quarantine in June of 2011 following the capture of two moths in a vineyard.
The Santa Cruz County Ag Commissioner's office noted this eradication illustrates what can be accomplished when regulatory officials, growers, and the public work together.
The USDA performed inspections and regulated the movement of grapes out of the quarantined area. The California Department of Food and Agriculture deployed insect traps and surveyed residential areas surrounding the finds. The Agricultural Commissioner informed grape growers about the optimal times to treat grapes with materials effective against the grapevine moth, and monitored the receipt of grapes at wineries for processing.
Growers complied by performing treatments and scouting for the pest. People living near the quarantine area allowed the State to either remove grapes from their properties or to treat the grapes with an organically registered material.
The USDA said traps will be put in vineyards during the growing season to still monitor if moths come back. In addition, it will also monitor shipments of grapes entering our county for processing from areas that are still under quarantine.
The moth has since been found in eight other California counties. Eradication efforts in those counties have also been successful. In 2009, over 100,000 moths were trapped in Napa County. Last year, less than 100 moths were captured in Napa County. In California, only Napa County and a portion of Solano and Sonoma Counties remain under quarantine.
The office of the Agricultural Commissioner would like to thank the industry and community for their assistance in this successful project.
