Experimental Trap Disrupts Citrus Pest's Love Life - controlling Asian citrus psyllids.

An acoustic trap developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists may offer an environmentally friendly way to control Asian citrus psyllids. These pests transmit Huanglongbing, a devastating citrus disease also known as citrus greening. Infected citrus trees cannot be cured and often die within several years. Until such time, they may bear green, misshapen fruit with acidic-tasting juice, making the fruit unmarketable. Concern over the cost and long-term environmental impact of using insecticides to control psyllid populations in citrus-growing states like Florida has prompted an intensive search for alternative measures, notes Richard Mankin, an entomologist with USDA s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Gainesville, Florida. See more