Pest Detection/Emergency Projects

Japanese Beetle Trap (image by Randall Gee Photography)
1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
916-654-1211

The primary responsibilities of the Pest Detection/Emergency Projects Branch (PD/EP) are the early detection and prompt eradication of serious agricultural pests from California. This is accomplished through the operation of a statewide detection trapping program, special detection surveys, and the maintenance of emergency projects response teams.


About PDEP

The Branch administers the statewide detection trapping program through trapping contracts with 46 county departments of agriculture. State personnel conduct trapping in Orange, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside, Santa Clara, Marin, Mendocino, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. Functionally, Branch activities may be divided into the following four components: Managerial, Operations Center, Pest Detection, and Emergency Projects.

The primary objectives of the statewide pest detection system are to find insect pests before they infest one square mile and plant diseases before they exceed one-half of a square mile.

Insects targeted for detection by the statewide network of traps include exotic fruit flies (particularly species of Bactrocera, Dacus, Ceratitis, and Anastrepha), Japanese beetle, light brown apple moth, khapra beetle, spongy moth and flighted spongy moth, European corn borer, and European pine shoot moth.

Emergency Projects

The primary objective of the emergency project component is to quickly and efficiently eradicate incipient infestations of serious agricultural pests, thereby preventing permanent establishment and subsequent spread in California. Other activities include:

Preparing specific "action plans" for such unwanted agricultural pests.

Maintaining properly trained and equipped pest response teams situated at strategic locations around the State.


Exotic Pests