USDA invests more than $100 million in fruit fly eradication efforts
New DPR Updates for Soil Fumigant & Non-Soil Fumigant Licensees
Under the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) recently amended Certification and Training regulations, currently licensed individuals who want to continue to perform pest control using either soil fumigant or non-soil fumigant pesticides next year must obtain the appropriate new licensing category starting January 1, 2024.
The new Soil Fumigation (Category L) is required for individuals who perform pest control using a pesticide labeled as a fumigant to control soil pests in sites including fields, forests, golf courses, greenhouses, and individual tree or vine hole sites. Individuals who previously performed this type of pest control under the Field Fumigation (Subcategory O), which is no longer a subcategory after December 31, 2023, will have to obtain the new Category L if they wish to continue performing soil fumigations.
***Contact your local County Ag Commissioner to confirm that the county is exercising discretion.***
If you are looking for more information on this regulation package please visit –> https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/license/cert_training.htm
APHIS Expands Three Fruit Fly Quarantines
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles
LOS ANGELES CO., Calif. — On November 15, 2023, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded a Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine and a Zeugodacus tau fruit fly quarantine in Los Angeles County. Furthermore, on November 21, APHIS and CDFA expanded a Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni; QFF) quarantine in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
The expansion of the Medfly quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection of an unmated female Medfly by CDFA on November 8, from a trap in an avocado tree in a residential area. As a result of this detection, the Leimert Park area quarantine increased by 8 square miles to 98 square miles. APHIS and CDFA established the original Medfly quarantine on October 18 following the confirmed detection of two flies in the Leimert Park area on September 27, and expanded the quarantine on November 1 and November 7 following detections of additional flies. There is no commercial agriculture in the quarantine area.
The expansion of the Z. tau quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection of two adult male Z. tau by CDFA on November 4, from traps in ornamental trees in residential areas. As a results of these detections, the Stevenson Ranch area quarantine increased by 18 square miles to 128 square miles. APHIS and CDFA established the original Z. tau quarantine on July 11 following the confirmed detection of nine flies in the Stevenson Ranch area between June 7 and July 6, and expanded the quarantine on August 15, September 14, and October 3 following detections of additional flies. There is no commercial agriculture in the quarantine area.
The expansion of the QFF quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection of an adult male QFF by CDFA on November 13, from a trap in an ornamental tree in a residential area. As a result of this detection, the Thousand Oaks area quarantine increased by 14 square miles to 90 square miles. APHIS and CDFA established the original QFF quarantine on October 18 following the confirmed detection of two flies in the Thousand Oaks area on August 23 and October 9. There are a total of 3,379 acres of commercial citrus, avocado, stone fruits, and berries in the quarantine area.
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Medfly, Z. tau, and QFF to non-infested areas of the United States, as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS is working with CDFA and the Agricultural Commissioners of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties to respond to these detections following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.
These quarantine expansions are reflected on the APHIS fruit fly website, which contains a description of all current federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of these changes in the Federal Register.
For additional information on the quarantine areas, please contact Fruit Fly National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at 301-851-2109 or richard.n.johnson@usda.gov.
–Dr. Mark L Davidson
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine
USDA APHIS
Original article link courtesy of Morning AgClips
(Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain)
Valley Citrus Growers Prepare for 2023 Frost Season
Below-freezing temperatures lasting more than a few hours have the ability to impact all citrus varieties. (Photo by Jeroen van Nierop on Unsplash)
EXETER, Calif. — The 2023 frost season is underway for San Joaquin Valley citrus growers. That means growers will be closely monitoring weather forecasts to prepare for any cold spells that may sweep through the valley in the coming months.
While cold temperatures benefit the crop by maintaining fruit quality, improving color, and sending trees into dormancy long periods of below-freezing temperatures are of concern to growers.
“Cold temperatures aren’t a bad thing for citrus. In fact, they can have positive effects on the fruit and trees,” says California Citrus Mutual President/CEO Casey Creamer. “It’s when below-freezing temperatures last for long periods of time that we get concerned there could be damage to the crop.”
Below-freezing temperatures lasting more than a few hours have the ability to impact all citrus varieties. However, mandarins are often at the greatest risk due to their thin peel.
To combat below-freezing temperatures citrus growers run wind machines and irrigation. These techniques help raise grove temperatures and alleviate any negative effects of long cold periods.
California Citrus Mutual (CCM) aids growers during the frost season by running the Weather Watch Program. Through this program, CCM employs weather stations throughout the region and provides growers with daily citrus-specific forecasts. The program runs from November 15 through March 15 each year.
–California Citrus Mutual
APHIS Expands and Establishes Asian Citrus Psyllid Quarantine Areas in California
This action is necessary to prevent the spread of transmissible disease, such as Huanglongbing (HLB)
SACRAMENTO — The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is expanding the areas quarantined for Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) in California. APHIS is expanding the quarantine areas described in DA-2014-46 to include the entire Counties of Fresno, Kern, San Luis Obispo, and Tulare counties. Due to the logistical challenges associated with an expanding 5-mile buffer from subsequent detections of ACP, CDFA established county-level quarantines for ACP in California. Parallel to CDFA’s quarantine, due to ACP detections, APHIS is also adding 18 new Counties in California: Alameda, Contra Costa, Kings, Madera, Marin, Merced, Monterey, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties.
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures on the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas in California. These measures parallel the intrastate quarantines that CDFA established. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of transmissible disease, such as Huanglongbing (HLB), by ACP to non‑infested areas of the United States.
The specific changes to the quarantine areas are attached and can also be found at the APHIS Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) website. APHIS will publish a notice of these changes in the Federal Register.
For additional information you may contact:
Shailaja Rabindran
Director of Specialty Crops and Cotton Pests
(301) 851‑2167
Shailaja.Rabindran@usda.gov.
Daniel Murphy
Assistant National Policy Manager
(775) 221-9237
Daniel.m.murphy@usda.gov
Quarantined Areas for Citrus Greening and Asian Citrus Psyllid
–USDA APHIS
Original article link courtesy of Morning AgClips
Photo: View of adult Asian citrus psyllids on citrus leaves. Asian citrus psyllids can transmit the bacteria that causes Huanglongbing to uninfected trees. (Credit: H. Gomez, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain)
Palm Weevil Threatens SoCal Palm Trees
More than 20,000 palms in the region have been killed by South American palm weevil
PUBLISHED ON
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The swaying palm trees that line San Diego’s streets might not be swaying much longer due to a pest that is infecting many of these iconic trees and making its way across Southern California.
The South American palm weevil (SAPW), also referred to as the American palm weevil and black palm weevil, was first detected in San Diego County in 2011, with breeding populations found in a Canary Island date palm in San Ysidro in 2015. According to industry experts, more than 20,000 palms in the region have been killed by SAPW thus far.
While SAPW can attack a variety of palm tree species, Canary Island date palms (Phoenix canariensis) are by far their most preferred host. SAPW adults lay their eggs in the crown of palm trees and then larvae hatch and voraciously consume the growing tissue of the palm. If left unchecked, this pest can kill mature palms in a matter of months.
SAPW has affected neighborhoods and cities throughout the greater San Diego area, creating a need for more residents to be aware of this concern and report infected palms. Though infestation has not been confirmed, SAPW adults have been reported in the Coachella Valley – about 120 miles northeast of San Diego.
‘Super-dispersers’ from San Diego can fly long distances
The California Department of Food and Agriculture has trapped weevils in the Coachella Valley and recent posts on iNaturalist, a social network for community members to map and share observations of biodiversity across the globe, indicate that adult weevils are flying into areas where edible dates are grown.
These reports interest researchers like Mark Hoddle, University of California Cooperative Extension entomology specialist based at UC Riverside, because the Coachella Valley, the major production area for edible dates nationwide, is far from any known infested palm trees.
How did the weevils get there? “It may be super-dispersers from San Diego,” said Hoddle. “They are on a death mission when they fly long distances – find food or die trying!”
While conducting an experiment to assess SAPW’s flight capability, Hoddle and his team learned that the beetle could fly non-stop for up to five hours, with some variation between males and females. “In some cases, they will fly until they die,” Hoddle said.
Currently, Hoddle is managing an ongoing urban palm surveillance effort of 521 palm trees in and around Bonita in San Diego County, which are assessed every six months. More than 70% of these palms have been killed by SAPW over a 6.5-year period.
Although Canary Island date palms are highly preferred by SAPW, the weevils can complete their entire life cycle in sugarcane as well. For palm species that are not currently preferred by the pest, there is still a chance that they can become more preferred over time as SAPW works its way through all available Canary Island date palms in the region.
Taking action to protect your palms
There are steps that one can take to protect palm trees. Traps can be used to both monitor weevils and reduce the number of adults flying around. There are two types of traps that Hoddle has evaluated for weevil captures: the bucket trap and the Picusan trap. Both use a fermenting bait – prepared with dates, baker’s yeast and water – that is placed in a glass jar with a perforated lid, in addition to a commercially available aggregation pheromone that will attract male and female weevils.
Of the two trap types, Hoddle prefers Picusan traps because they catch about six times as many weevils as bucket traps – retaining more than 95% of the weevils that are attracted to them. Bucket traps, on the other hand, retain only about 30% of weevils.
Hoddle emphasizes that trap placement is key. The Picusan trap is designed to be placed on the ground, whereas the bucket trap is typically hung from a tree branch, fence or post. Furthermore, the traps should be placed at least 500 yards away from the potential host palms and avoid direct sunlight. Shaded or partially shaded areas are best to avoid diminishing the trap’s potency.
Another strategy is to prune palm trees when SAPW flight activity is low (December through March) to minimize attracting flying adult weevils to freshly pruned palms.
Finally, the best way to protect your tree is to apply insecticides. These chemicals will kill adult weevils that attempt to start infestations. While contact insecticides can deter and kill adults when applied to the crown of the palm, systemic insecticides are usually more effective and can be applied as soil and crown drenches, trunk sprays, or soil and trunk injections. Systemic insecticides move inside the palm and concentrate in the palm heart, the growing area at the top of the palm where weevils feed. Once this growing area is damaged by feeding weevil larvae, palms die
“Just know that if you are planning to protect palms with insecticides, you are in it for life,” said Hoddle, emphasizing that there is no “one and done” approach to saving palms affected by SAPW. “Don’t start if you can’t commit.”
Aesthetics aren’t the only motivation to prevent palm infection and death caused by SAPW. Palm crowns that are highly damaged by larval feeding can detach from the top of the trunk and fall to the ground, putting people and property at risk. Dead fronds drop from dying palms and the large spines at the base of the fronds are a significant hazard to people and pets.
Seek expert support for tree concerns and removal
Removing dead palms is an expensive and time-consuming process. Removal can cost between $2,400 to $4,000 per palm, with cost varying based on location. For example, if a palm is in an area that requires the use of a crane, semitruck or helicopter to safely access, remove and dispose of the dead palm, tree removal can cost up to $15,000.
Once a palm is infested with SAPW, it likely cannot be saved unless it is aggressively treated with insecticides at an early stage of the infestation. If you are certain that a tree is infected by SAPW, it is highly recommended that you work with a tree care company or arborist to manage the weevils that might be present in the palm and to promptly and responsibly dispose of dead palms so that spread of weevils into new areas is minimized.
To confirm visual signs of palm trees that have been affected by SAPW, visit Hoddle’s site for more information and to report infested palms: https://cisr.ucr.edu/invasive-
–Saoimanu Sope
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Original article link courtesy of Morning AgClips
(All photos courtesy of Mark Hoddle)
Virtual Meeting Nov. 2 to Address California Pear Pest
California entomologists and crop advisors are trying to find out more about a flatheaded borer that has been attacking California pears directly at the fruit in Lake County.
Ross Courtney // October 19, 2023
Turns out, folks from beyond the Lake County borders want to know about a potential new California pear pest.
University of California Cooperative Extension has scheduled another meeting, this one virtual, to discuss the emergence of the flatheaded borer causing damage to fruit in Lake County pear orchards. The meeting will be from 8–9 a.m. on Nov. 2.
Clebson G. Gonçalves, a UCCE advisor, held an in-person grower meeting Oct. 17, but people from outside the county have also asked for more information. Scientists are unsure if the flatheaded borer attacking fruit directly this year is the same species as the Pacific flatheaded borer, known typically to cause damage in wood.
“This pest has generated a lot of curiosity among entomologists,” Gonçalves said.
To register for and attend the virtual meeting Nov. 2 at 8 a.m. Pacific Time, go to: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=41647.
—by Ross Courtney
Original article link courtesy of Good Fruit Grower
(Image courtesy Clebson G. Gonçalves/University of California Cooperative Extension)
EPA Resolves Longstanding Litigation, Ensures Pesticides Remain Available
Complaint against EPA alleged that it was violating the Endangered Species Act when it registered or reevaluated the registration of 382 pesticide active ingredients
WASHINGTON — This week, the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) resolved longstanding litigation covering over 1,000 pesticide products, allowing EPA to fulfill its obligations to protect endangered species while conducting reviews and approvals of pesticides in a safe and protective manner.
In 2011, the Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network (Plaintiffs) filed a complaint in Federal Court in California against EPA alleging that it was violating the Endangered Species Act (ESA) when it registered or reevaluated the registration of 382 pesticide active ingredients, which was ultimately reduced to 35 active ingredients covering over 1,000 pesticide products containing one or more of these active ingredients. This became known as the “megasuit” because of the number of pesticides it covered. The settlement entered by the Court this week resolves all outstanding claims.
“This agreement is a win-win-win to protect endangered species, ensure the availability of pesticides needed to grow food across America, and save considerable time and taxpayer expenses required to further litigate this case,” said Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “This settlement allows EPA adequate time to fulfill its obligations under the Endangered Species Act and adopt key elements from the Agency’s 2022 ESA Workplan, which a wide range of stakeholders support.”
In 2022, EPA issued its ESA Workplan, Balancing Wildlife Protection and Responsible Pesticide Use: How EPA’s Pesticide Program Will Meet its Endangered Species Act Obligations, which describes how EPA will address the challenge of protecting ESA-listed species from pesticides. The ESA Workplan was developed with public listening sessions and public comment. This settlement is consistent with EPA’s ongoing efforts to develop a multichemical, multispecies approach to meeting its ESA obligations under the workplan. EPA’s traditional chemical-by-chemical, species-by-species approach to meeting these obligations has been slow and costly, with ESA work on each pesticide typically taking many years to complete. As a result, EPA has completed its ESA obligations for less than 5% of its actions, creating legal vulnerabilities, the potential for adverse impacts to listed species, and uncertainty for farmers and other pesticide users that use many pesticides. Resolving the remaining claims in this lawsuit and establishing a path forward under the settlement is a significant step to overcoming these challenges.
This agreement and the prior partial settlement include obligations for EPA, many of which are also described in the ESA Workplan. Those actions include:
- Development of mitigation measures for listed species that are particularly vulnerable to exposures from pesticides and determine how to apply these mitigations to future pesticide actions, as well as whether this Vulnerable Species Pilot should be expanded to more species. EPA met its first deadline (June 30, 2023) for this action by conducting public outreach on the mitigation measures identified for the first set of species.
- Development and implementation of an Herbicide Strategy (draft released for public comment), a Rodenticide Strategy, Insecticide Strategy, and Fungicide strategy (the latter three are still under development) which will identify mitigation measures for entire classes of pesticides to address their potential impacts to hundreds of ESA-listed species
- Completion of the ESA work for eight organophosphates and four rodenticides;
- Hosting of a workshop for stakeholders to explore how to offset pesticide impacts on ESA-listed species in situations where eliminating or modifying pesticide use may not be feasible, and how EPA could incorporate those offsets into its process for registering or reregistering pesticides. Offsets could include restoring wetland habitat or funding breeding programs for affected species.
For further information: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)
Farm Hands West: Crout takes new role at Helena Agri-Enterprises
Paul Crout is the new AGRIntelligence, agronomy, and organics manager at Helena Agri-Enterprises. He has been with the company for the last five years and most recently was the senior product manager and agronomist in Templeton, Calif. Crout currently serves as the chairman of CAPCA.
Daren Williams has been selected to lead the PR and reputation management practice at Curious Plot, located in Modesto and focused on increasing the agency’s West Coast presence. He most recently served as director of corporate communications for Valley First Credit Union. He has also held roles with the Almond Board of California and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners has added Jahmese Myres and Stephanie Dominguez Walton to the board. They fill the seats vacated by Commissioners Cestra “Ces” Butner and Joan Story who completed their years of service. Myres is the leadership development director at PowerSwitch Action and Dominguez Walton comes to the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners with more than 25 years in broadcast journalism. Commissioner Dominguez Walton also serves as the president of the board at the Voter Protection Project.
Bruce Bodine has been tapped as the next president and CEO of the Mosaic Co., succeeding James “Joc” O’Rourke, who is retiring. Bodine has held several executive roles with the company, including senior vice president of potash, senior vice president of phosphates, and vice president of supply chain.
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture has brought on Becky Garrison Warfel as the new director of public policy, leading NASDA’s food safety and nutrition policy committee. Garrison Warfel is a registered dietitian and holds a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition. She is working toward completing her master’s in public administration from the University of Idaho. She previously served the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion as a MyPlate strategic partner.
Keith Gray is the new president of the Forest Resources Association. He previously served as USDA’s associate administrator of the Risk Management Agency. Before that, he was the chief of staff at RMA.
ADM has appointed Regina Bynote Jones as the company’s new senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, effective Sept. 5. In this role, she will oversee ADM’s global legal and regulatory affairs, compliance initiatives, security operations and government relations efforts. She most recently served as the chief legal officer for Baker Hughes, a global leader in the energy technology sector.
John Niemann is the new CEO of Cooks Venture, a vertically integrated poultry business. Niemann comes to Cooks Venture from Cargill, where he had a 20 year career with the company. He served as the president of protein ingredient and international and was also the president of Cargill’s Turkey & Cooked Meats division and its food distribution business.
Nezahualcoyotl “Neza” Xiuhtecutli has been hired by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition as the new grassroots advocacy coordinator. He brings to the role 20 years of experience working in rural communities in Mexico, Central America and the southern U.S. He previously worked at the Farmworker Association of Florida as the general coordinator and principal investigator.
Jasmine Dickerson is now working in government affairs at General Mills. She previously worked in the Office of the Vice President as a senior adviser for legislative affairs and before that was at the Department of Agriculture as a legislative director in the Office of Congressional Relations.
Bethany Shively is leaving the American Seed Trade Association where she served as the vice president of strategic communications.
Shannon Ott has joined North American Ag as the chief operating officer. She brings over 20 years of experience to the role, previously working in marketing management for the animal health industry.
The Congressional Western Caucus has brought on Eli Mansour as communications director and Chris Perez as outreach representative. Mansour previously worked in the office of Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., where he was the congressman’s communications director. Perez is a first generation American who was born and raised in South Florida. He previously was involved in real estate and the mortgage business both in the USA and abroad.
Chan Windham has been promoted to vice president of sales at House of Raeford. He will direct overall sales operations for the ready-to-cook, cooked products, and international divisions of the company. Windham has been with the company for nearly 30 years and most recently was the director of commodity sales.
Rod West has been promoted to executive vice president of global supply chain at Dollar General. He most recently was the senior vice president of distribution at DG.
Uwe Ranft will retire as managing director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and global strategic accounts for Novus International. Ranft has been with Novus for the last 20 years, 14 of those at the helm of the commercial business. Volker Seidl has been tapped to succeed him, effective in the new year. He joined NOVUS as the director of global strategic accounts in 2021.
Founder and CEO of Farmer Focus Corwin Heatwole is transitioning to chairman of the organization’s board of managers. Stephen Shepard has been tapped to replace Heatwole. He currently serves as president and COO.
Mike Siemens is the new executive director of Protect the Harvest, with a focus on strategic development, growth and meeting constituent needs. Theresa Lucas McMahan, moved from executive director to the newly created chief administrative officer position, focused on organizational effectiveness and operations. Siemens previously worked as a global animal welfare officer for Arrowsight. He also previously held roles with DeKalb Feeds, Smithfield Foods, and Cargill.
Norman Karlson has been brought on as a fiscal officer for the U.S. Wheat Associates. Kurt Coppens has also been promoted to director of finance from his current position as fiscal officer, and current senior staff accountant Adam Kiely has been elevated to comptroller. Karlson most recently was a project accountant with Reading is Fundamental.
Heath Brandt has returned to Torrey Advisory Group as policy coordinator. Brandt most recently interned on the Senate Ag Committee, and before that interned at TAG. Brandt attends the University of Missouri, where he majors in agricultural communications.
Montana Farm Bureau Federation has hired Jasmine Evans as the new Eastern Montana regional manager. Evans ranches near Circle, Montana, and previously worked at Rural Community Insurance Services as a crop claims field adjuster.
New Invasive Species Arrives in California
Tau fruit fly has been detected in Los Angeles county, quarantine now in place
This the first Tau fruit fly quarantine ever in the Western Hemisphere. (Photo: Fan Gao, Courtesy CDFA)
SACRAMENTO — A portion of Los Angeles County has been placed under quarantine for the Tau fruit fly (Zeugodacus tau group) following the detection of more than 20 flies in the unincorporated area of Stevenson Ranch, near the city of Santa Clarita.
The quarantine area measures 79 square miles, bordered on the north by Castaic Junction; on the south by Oat Mountain; on the west by Del Valle; and on the east by Honby Ave. A link to the quarantine map may be found here: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/
This the first Tau fruit fly quarantine ever in the Western Hemisphere. The fly is native to Asia and is a serious pest for agriculture and natural resources, with a very wide host range, including numerous fruits and vegetables as well as a select range of native plants in California.
It’s believed the fly was introduced by travelers bringing uninspected produce into the state — a common pathway for invasive species.
To prevent the spread of this invasive species, residents living in the quarantine area are urged not to move any fruits and vegetables from their property. They may be consumed or processed (i.e. juiced, frozen, cooked, or ground in the garbage disposal) at the property where they were picked. Otherwise, they should be disposed-of by double-bagging in plastic and placing the bags in a bin specifically for garbage.
Following the principles of Integrated Pest Management, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, working in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner, will utilize a multi-tiered approach to eliminate the Tau fruit fly and prevent its spread to new areas. On properties within 200 meters of detections, staff will cut host fruit and vegetables to inspect for any fruit fly larvae that may be present. Additionally, properties within 200 meters of detections will be treated with a naturally derived organic-approved material known as Spinosad, which will help remove any live adult fruit flies and reduce the density of the population. Finally, fly traps that incorporate a pheromone lure and a minute amount of pesticide will be used in a wider part of the treatment area.
Further information about this invasive species is available online at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/
Article courtesy of Morning Ag Clips
Original URL: https://www.morningagclips.com/new-invasive-species-arrives-in-california/