San Mateo County is one of nine counties in the Bay Area affected by the quarantine. Portions of Half Moon Bay were added to the quarantined area, along with four other stretches of county land ranging from 11 to 23 square miles.
San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner Gail Raabe urges residents in the quarantined areas not to remove plants, flowers, fruits or vegetables from their property in order to prevent the spread of the agricultural nuisance. Plant clippings, leaves and other green waste should be placed in recycling containers or composted onsite, according to Raabe.
 Officials have expanded the boundaries of the quarantine in an effort to stave off movement of the light brown apple moth. Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture. |
To prevent the spread of the moth, an ongoing investigation by the CDFA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is being conducted at retail nurseries, community gardens and farms throughout the county. Though the inspection is in place, certified producers within the quarantined areas that sell items at the county's numerous farmers' markets are allowed to sell without restriction.
The first evidence of the moth came in March when traps in the East Bay first captured the tiny creature. As a result, 700 traps were dispersed throughout San Mateo County. A Belmont trap snared one on April 13, prompting the inspection of agriculture throughout the county.
Other neighboring cities included in the expansion of the quarantine include Colma, South San Francisco, Brisbane, Daly City, San Carlos, Belmont, San Mateo, Hillsborough, Woodside, Portola Valley, Menlo Park and Redwood City.
The moth is native to Australia and infests more than 250 plant species including a variety of agricultural crops. The plants are damaged by caterpillars that feed on leaves, shoots and fruit.
For more information, contact the San Mateo County Department of Agriculture at (650) 363-4700. A map showing the quarantined are is found at http://pi.cdfa.ca.gov/pqm/manual/htm/419.htm.
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