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Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM)

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H I G H L I G H T S Light Brown Apple Moth - San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner Gail Raabe is asking residents within the quarantine areas to help prevent the spread of this serious agricultural pest by not moving plants, flowers, fruits or vegetables from their property. Green waste, such as plant clippings and leaves, should be placed in recycling containers or composted on site. Description Light Brown Apple Moth Actual Size1/4 inch The Light Brown Apple (LBAM) is a small moth, approximately 1/4 inch in length, and is generally tan with some darker markings. It is originally from Australia and has also infested New Zealand, New Caledonia, Hawaii and the British Isles. It feeds on a such a wide variety of plants that it is considered a significant threat to the environment as well as to agricultural crops. Eradication Treatments in San Mateo County The California Department of Food and Agriculture no longer plans to utilize aerial pheromone treatments as a tool to eradicate the light brown apple moth in the urban areas of northern San Mateo County.  Instead, CDFA will be using an alternative eradication tool know as Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) in which large numbers of sterilized, infertile insects are released so that wild populations cannot reproduce.  There is no risk of crop or landscape damage from the release of sterile adult moths because only the caterpillars feed on plants.  Sterile moths are expected to be available for release in early 2009 on a limited basis.  In the interim, CDFA will continue efforts to suppress the light brown apple moth population and eradicate small, isolated infestations using ground application of pheromone-infused twist-ties and other tools.  Other than the pheromone twist-ties currently deployed in Half Moon Bay and Pescadero, no additional ground treatments are scheduled for San Mateo County at this time. CDFA Pest Hotline: 1-800-491-1899 CDFA LBAM Program e-mail: lbam@cdfa.ca.gov CDFA LBAM Web site: www.cdfa.ca.gov/lbam San Mateo County LBAM Quarantine Area Maps and Treatment Areas County Light Brown Apple Moth Finds and Quarantine Map Half Moon Bay Treatment  Pescadero Treatment| Quarantine Northern San Mateo County Southern San Mateo County  Full Regulation and Map Links Related Links California Department of Food and Agriculture LBAM brochure [PDF] Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) Project - a cooperative project of the California Department of Food & Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture University of California Integrated Pest Management Online United States Department of Agriculture  San Mateo County News Releases June 12, 2007   Light Brown Apple Moth Quarantine Boundaries Established in San Mateo County Updated: 6/9/2008