Riverside County gardeners and orchard owners who are worried about the discovery of a citrus-killing pest in eastern Los Angeles County are being asked to attend an informational session hosted by the state Department of Food and Agriculture next Thursday, officials said this weekend.
The meeting will include presentations by Cal EPA about the application of pesticides in the area of the infected tree.
A catastrophic disease called ``huanglongbing'' -- commonly called HLB or ``citrus greening'' -- was detected in a lemon and pummelo tree in Hacienda Heights, in the eastern San Gabriel Valley.
Commercial and backyard growers in California have long feared that the malady would spread from Florida and Mexico to here. The disease is spread by a bacteria carried by an insect called an Asian citrus psyllid.
Once infected, citrus trees start bearing bitter fruit, then wither and die. The state announced Friday that the infected tree was being removed, and that insecticide was being applied on citrus trees within a half mile.
A quarantine area will also be set up in hopes of preventing the spread of the disease by limiting the movement of citrus trees, plant parts, green waste and fruit out of the San Gabriel Valley.
Oranges and other fruit can be eaten, but cannot be taken out of the quarantine area. Residents of quarantine areas were urged not to remove or share citrus fruit, trees, clippings, grafts or related plant material.
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The open house and informational session will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Industry Hills Expo Center, 16200 Temple Ave., in the City of Industry. The location is about 35 miles west of downtown Riverside.
