Little beetle, big problem.

Almost every month, a new exotic insect, plant or plant pathogen is detected in Florida. Some of these exotic invaders turn out to be serious agricultural pests, like laurel wilt disease and the redbay ambrosia beetle.

Pests and diseases like laurel wilt and the redbay ambrosia beetle are often spread throughout the state unknowingly by travelers. For example, the redbay ambrosia beetle can be harbored in firewood, and transporting firewood increases the spread of the beetle and laurel wilt disease.

Laurel wilt is a destructive disease of redbay, avocado and other trees in the laurel family (Lauraceae). The disease is caused by a fungus (Raffaelea lauricola) that infects the sapwood of host trees, restricting the flow of water, causing the leaves to wilt and the trees to die. The fungus is carried into trees by the non-native redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus), which was first detected in the U.S. near Savannah, Georgia, in 2002 and subsequently found in Duval County, Florida, in 2005. Laurel wilt has caused high levels of mortality in redbay trees in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and has affected several other hosts including sassafras and avocado.

Florida’s avocado industry represents a farm gate production value of $13 million with over 6,773 production acres located in Miami-Dade County with some acreage in Collier County, according to Florida Agriculture Statistics. The spread of the tiny redbay ambrosia beetle could result in the elimination of avocado production in Florida.

The Division of Plant Industry’s Save the Guac campaign was established to educate the public about the potential devastating effects laurel wilt and the redbay ambrosia beetle could have on Florida avocado production. According to the report, Estimates of the Replacement Costs of Commercial and Backyard Avocado Trees in South Florida authored by Edward A. Evans and Jonathan H. Crane, the cost to replace commercial and backyard avocados, if the redbay-laurel wilt disease complex became established, would be $423 million. DPI established a firewood and unprocessed wood product regulation in August to protect our trees, natural environments, forest and wood material industries and, of course, avocados.

You can help stop the spread of exotic invasive species like the redbay ambrosia beetle and help Save the Guac by not transporting firewood or unprocessed wood products.

Have questions? Call DPI’s toll-free helpline at 888-397-1517 or e-mail us at dpi-blog@doacs.state.fl.us.

Shoo, Medfly, don’t bother me.

After a summer of battle with the infamous Mediterranean fruit fly, DPI came out victorious. The state’s Division of Plant Industry, along with its federal counterparts, worked diligently to eradicate the Medfly and continue to protect Florida’s agriculture industry, environment and economy from the potential devastation this pest could bring to the state.

Commissioner Bronson announced September 1 that eradication has been declared in the Medfly outbreak in Palm Beach County. This means that regulations have been lifted and fruit movement is no longer prohibited. Eradication is achieved when three life cycles of the Medfly, or about 60 days, have passed without finding another wild Medfly.

The Medfly is considered the most serious of the world’s fruit fly pests due to its potential economic harm and threat to our food supply. It attacks more than 250 different fruits, vegetables and nuts, including oranges, grapefruit, lemons, apples, guava, mango, tomatoes and peppers. Population growth may be explosive, as females are capable of producing hundreds of eggs.

The Medfly eradication program was successful because of the outstanding efforts of DPI’s Incident Control Team. However, credit is due to the Floridians who cooperated with the eradication efforts. Eradication programs cannot be successful without public support.

Federal and state agriculture officials will continue to educate the public about the risks associated with bringing agricultural products illegally into the state that may harbor harmful pests and diseases like the Medfly. Illegal agricultural products are often introduced into the state unknowingly by visitors. However, one piece of infested fruit likely cause this multi-million dollar eradication program that prevented residents from enjoying, and businesses from selling, their fruit and vegetables for a  three-month period, and could have potentially wiped out entire crops.

Help keep Florida Medfly-free! Keep our message in mind: “Don’t Pack a Pest — when traveling, don’t move agricultural products.” Also, purchasing plants from registered Florida nurseries and reporting suspicious plant pests and diseases helps to protect the state. More information can be found on DPI’s website, and you can also call our toll-free help number at 888-397-1517 or e-mail us at DPI-blog@doacs.state.fl.us.

The King of Fruits is battling a foreign invader. Whose side are you on?

Scooped and sliced or served cut “inside-out”, mixed into salsas or smoothies, served in ice cream or fresh off of the tree, mangos are a tasty Florida treasure.

Mango trees are a popular choice for backyard fruit trees in Florida.

Mangos are grown commercially in Florida in Miami-Dade, Lee and Palm Beach counties, but the fruit trees are a common sight in backyards of south Florida residents. Tall evergreen trees provide this flavorful fruit that just beckons you to slice one open over the sink and enjoy. Mangos are called the “king of fruits” for a reason. However, this year some communities in Florida aren’t able to enjoy their mangos like in years past.

This summer marks a battle between the federal and state plant regulatory agencies and the Mediterranean fruit fly, which attacks over 260 host plants in Florida, including our king of fruits, the mango. Representatives from the USDA and the state Division of Plant Industry have been working tirelessly to eradicate wild Mediterranean fruit flies discovered this past June.

The Medfly lays its eggs inside host fruits, ruining and rotting the fruit, and can infest trees to the point that edible fruit isn’t an option. Fortunately, our efforts are proving successful so far, and mangos will hopefully be able to remain “king” in Florida. 

We need your help to keep this pest from ruining your mangos and other fruits and veggies under attack from the Medfly. You can help by cooperating with our representatives responding to the Medfly outbreak in Palm Beach County. You can help by not moving fruit off of your property if you live inside the regulated area. You can also help by staying in contact with us with your questions, concerns or information about Medfly. You can reach our Fruit Fly Helpline at 888-397-1517.

We want you to be able to enjoy your mangos every year. Help us help you.

You can find more information on our Web site at http://www.fl-dpi.com.

Since we know you love mangos so much, here are a few recipes to try from our Fresh from Florida chef:
Mango Kugel
Tropical Mango Sorbet
Fresh Strawberry-Mango Milkshake
Mango Enchilada
Mango Upside-Down Cake
Mucho Mango Bread Pudding
Mango Pancakes
Also try these kid-friendly recipes:
Fruit Muffins
Avocado Mango Salsa