Officials Set To Release Sterile Apple Moths

Federal officials have begun discussions with winegrape growers in California’s Carneros region about the state’s first pilot program to release sterile light brown apple moths (LBAM) in infested lands on the border of Sonoma and Napa counties. The field trial would provide data for what may become the main method for eradicating the apple moth in California.

Instead of spraying, state and federal officials announced last year they would pursue a program to release millions of sterile LBAM in infested lands in the Napa/Sonoma region. The field trials would provide data for what may become the main method for eradicating LBAM in California. The technique, which prevents the insect from producing offspring, has been used with such pests as the Mediterranean fruit fly and the pink bollworm. USDA has committed $90 million to eradicate the moth.

In related news, Yolo County (CA) officials recently announced the detection of a single LBAM in a trap in Davis. County staffers have since set out 300 new traps in a 9-square mile area in and around the city to assess the extent of the infestation.