Dreaded apple moth discovered in Sonoma

To the concern of farmers and grape growers, a single light brown apple moth has been found near Sonoma, the first of the invasive pests to be detected in Sonoma County.

State agriculture officials Friday announced the latest finding of the apple moth, which first turned up in California last year and already has touched off battles over aerial spraying in the Bay Area and south to Monterey County.

Farm officials expressed cautious optimism that the moth could be contained here, but emphasized that they take seriously the threat posed by the insect native to Australia.

"It's frightening in terms of the potential impact that this pest could have on Sonoma County, not only on agriculture but also the impact on the environment," said Lex McCorvey, executive director of the county Farm Bureau.

McCorvey noted that besides grapes and other crops, the moth attacks a variety of garden plants, plus oaks, Douglas fir and redwoods.

A male moth was found Feb. 15 in a trap in a residential area on the outskirts of Sonoma, said county Agricultural Commissioner Lisa Correia. State experts determined Feb. 22 that the pest was a light brown apple moth, and federal experts confirmed the find this week, a state spokesman said.

The state has placed about 300 more traps within a 9-square-mile area in and near Sonoma, Correia said.

If no other moths are found in the next six months, no further action will be taken. But if one more moth is found, the area will be declared infested, eradication efforts will begin and farmers in the vicinity could face regulations aimed at preventing the moth's proliferation.

Grape growers said they are most concerned with possible restrictions on transporting their crop at harvest.

"That inability to ship fruit, whether strawberries or grapes, that's your biggest risk," said Nick Frey, president of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.

However, Steve Lyle, a spokesman for the state Department of Food and Agriculture, said state officials would seek to develop a "workable" system to allow grape harvesting in an infested area.

"A regulatory program is usually not a shutdown of commodity," Lyle said.

The moth (Epiphyas postvittana) feeds on more than 2,000 plants, including more than 250 farm crops.

Agriculture officials first detected it in California in February 2007 and now have enacted apple moth quarantines in nearly all other Bay Area counties.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture study suggested if the state becomes "generally infested," the moth could cause $160 million to $640 million annually in crop damage.

The state suggests quarantine restrictions could hinder exports and interstate commerce. Already, the moth's presence has prompted Mexico and Canada to impose export regulations on California.

The federal government is spending $75 million this year to eradicate the pest in the state. Key to the efforts are plans for aerial spraying of infested areas with a synthetic moth pheromone designed to keep the pests from mating.

California officials insist the chemical is safe. But spraying opponents say the state has not adequately investigated health complaints from Central Coast communities where the spray was applied last fall.

A handful of Bay Area legislators, including Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, have introduced legislation that would prohibit or set conditions on aerial spraying.

Correia and others noted officials in Santa Barbara County found only a single moth early last month and no additional moths since.

State officials say the moth has been eradicated in Napa and Los Angeles counties. Agriculture officials there set out special twist ties infused with pheromones that attract and confuse the male moths.

You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 521-5285

or robert.digitale@

pressdemocrat.com.