Pest Prevention & Detection

The Pest Prevention and Detection Division includes several programs whose mission is to prevent the introduction of foreign pests. The Pest Exclusion Program is considered the first line of defense in San Bernardino County's fight against foreign pests. One of the safest and most effective ways to manage these pests is to deny them access. Our mission is to keep serious agricultural and environmental pests out of the county and to prevent or limit the spread of newly discovered pests within the county and state as whole.

The County plays an important role in preventing pest introduction and the resulting degradation of our unique environment by monitoring and inspecting plant material and other items entering the County. These inspections are conducted to assure compliance with State and Federal quarantine laws and regulations. A cooperative program involving the USDA, CDFA, and County Agricultural Commissioners helps prevent the entry of illegal produce, plants, animals, and other articles that could contain pests that are harmful to agriculture. Upon arrival into the County, all shipments of plant material must be held for inspection. Staff inspectors conduct inspections at the United Parcel Service and the United States Postal Service facilities through the county, as well as at other facilities that regularly receive shipments of plant material from other counties, states and countries. Inspectors also check domestic shipments of household items for gypsy moth larvae and egg masses, to prevent the establishment of Gypsy moth in California. Gypsy moth is prevalent on the East Coast where they cause millions of dollars in damage to trees and other vegetation.

Agricultural commodities destined for export must meet the phytosanitary (freedom from pests) requirements of the importing country. As a collaborative effort with the USDA, staff inspectors verify that the commodity meets such requirements, which may include making an inspection during the growing season. The inspector then issues a Phytosanitary certificate for export as required by the agricultural agencies at destination. Inspectors also issue certificates for the interstate and intrastate movement of plant materials.

The Nursery and Seed Inspection Program provides inspections of nurseries and seed packages so as to prevent the introduction and spread of agricultural pests and protect agriculture and the consumer against economic loses resulting from the sale of inferior, defective or pest-infested nursery stock. Common pests found on nursery stock are required to be eliminated before sale.

The inspection of seed at packers, wholesalers, and retail establishments help the public and agricultural industries obtain quality seeds for planting. Germination and contamination by weed seeds are special concerns in this program.

The Pest Detection Program provides early detection and prompt eradication of serious agricultural pests. This is accomplished through the operation of a trapping program and special detection surveys.

Insects targeted for detection by the program's network of traps include exotic fruit files (particularly species of Bactrocera, Dacus, Ceratitis and Anastrepha) commonly called the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Melon Fly, Oriental Fruit Fly and Mexican Fruit Fly, and the Japanese Beetle and Gypsy Moth. Seventeen trappers deploy and service over 4,900 year round traps and an additional 410 seasonal summer traps checking for unwanted pests throughout the valley area of the county.

In addition to the detection traps, San Bernardino County is included in the Sterile Insect Release Program run by the State of California. This is a program designed to stop new infestations of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly by releasing billions of sterile male Medflies. These sterile male files will breed with any wild female Medflies they find and will prevent the female from producing viable eggs.

These activities have been enormously successful in preventing any of the target exotic insects from gaining a foothold in San Bernardino County. The last insect finds include several Mexican Fruit Flies found in the Bloomington area in August 1999, one Oriental Fruit Fly found in Ontario in August 1999 and one Melon Fly found in Rancho Cucamonga in August 1998.