(BATON ROUGE)---State agriculture officials report that a disease-causing insect that can prevent citrus from ripening and possibly even kill the entire tree has now been found in three more parishes in south Louisiana. They add that citrus greening disease, possibly caused by the insect, has now been found in Orleans Parish.

Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain earlier reported that the Asian citrus psyllid, an insect that looks like a cicada, had been confirmed on citrus trees in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. Dr. Strain said that now the insect has also been found in Plaquemines, St. Charles, and Lafourche Parishes.

Dr. Strain added that citrus greening disease, which can prevent the citrus from ripening and possibly kill the tree itself, had only been found in Florida. He now said that the disease was found in Orleans Parish, leading state officials to quarantine Orleans Parish citrus trees. He added that this means those citrus trees in New Orleans can only be sold inside Orleans Parish.

As for the Asian citrus psyllid, Dr. Strain said that it was found last week in five retail garden centers and 34 residential properties in Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, and St. Charles Parishes. He added that it was found only on one plant at one retail center in Lafourche Parish.

With citrus being a $6.4 million a year industry in the state, Dr. Strain emphasized again that growers should be alert for the possibility of the insect being on trees. He added that samples will be collected and analyzed to determine the extent of possible infestation and the type of treatment program that should be used to prevent the further spreading of the insect.

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