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Barrage of Pests Invade San Diego

The San Diego County agriculture department plans a trip to Florida to keep pests from hurting local crops. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce explains.

Barrage of Pests Invade San Diego

The San Diego County agriculture department plans a trip to Florida to keep pests from hurting local crops. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce explains.

Local officials want to intercept the bugs before they get here.

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County Agricultural Commissioner Bob Atkins says the pests hitchhike on products shipped on airlines, trucks and in small packages sent in the mail.

He says there's a plan to reduce that threat.

Atkins: We are about to send one of my inspectors back to Florida to educate the inspector and a dog to which will be assigned to him, to be trained in examining these small parcels in route by using the dog's nose. In this way we hope to intercept more of these shipments and prevent these kinds of infestations.

A quarantine is in effect in Southern San Diego County to keep the Asian citrus psyllid from destroying the state's billion-dollar citrus industry.  

That comes as the county is busy eradicating Oriental fruit flies in Carlsbad.

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Ed Joyce, KPBS News.