Moth discovery forces quarantine in Davis area

State officials on Wednesday announced a 38-square-mile quarantine zone for the light brown apple moth in the Davis area.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture urges residents not to transport fruits, vegetables and flowers from yards and gardens. Goods purchased at retail are exempt.

Nurseries and farms within the quarantine area must be certified by an agricultural official as free of the pest before selling their products.

The quarantine zone is roughly rectangular, with boundaries extending as far as the south fork of Putah Creek on the south, County Road 98 on the west, County Road 29 on the north and the Yolo Bypass western levee on the east.

Officials have found two light brown apple moths in the Davis area since April, triggering the quarantine. The moth, a native of Australia, is roughly the size of a nickel. It can infest more than 250 crops as well as other plant species.

Since early 2007, the moth has been found in many Bay Area and coastal counties. The Davis detections are the first in the Central Valley.

For more information, see www.cdfa.ca.gov/lbam or call the state exotic pest hotline at (800) 491-1899.

- Jim Downing