FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A tiny pest capable of carrying a disease that can kill citrus trees has turned up in the heart of California's citrus belt.
Tulare County officials say an Asian citrus psyllid was found in a trap pulled from a tree near Strathmore, southeast of Visalia, on Friday.
It's only the second psyllid found in the San Joaquin Valley. The psyllids have turned up in greater numbers in Southern California.
It's not known yet whether the Tulare County psyllid carries the deadly bacteria called "citrus greening."
The disease has decimated the citrus industry in Florida and other parts of the world.
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