Online extra: 10 facts about LBAM infestation

Issue Date: June 17, 2009

• Counties infested with light brown apple moth: 14 under quarantine, three more counties with single detections that could be added to the list if pest counts increase.
• Land area in California under quarantine for LBAM: Nearly 3,000 square miles.
• Potential host plants: More than 2,000 species, including many ornamental and native varieties.
• Impact on plant nurseries: 67 different host plants found either with eggs, larvae, pupae or adult moths.
• Dollars allocated to control and eradicate the pest: $75 million.
• Number of people—state and federal—working on pest response: 181—seven from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, 43 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 131 contract workers; this total does not include county employees.
• Trade impact: Federal order restricts shipment of host plants to all other states; Canada and Mexico have their own import restrictions.
• Number of light brown apple moths found in Los Angeles County since 2007: 1
• Number found in San Francisco County since 2007: nearly 35,000.
• Estimated annual dollar loss due to light brown apple moth crop damage: $160 million to $640 million.

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item. Top