POSTED: Friday, November 16, 2012 - 5:45pm UPDATED: Monday,
November 19, 2012 - 10:14am WESLACO - From Mission to
Brownsville, two men from the Citrus Center are out searching
for the bug that can carry the citrus greening disease. "We're
the immediate eyes, we are there everyday, ya know checking out
what's in the field," said Mike Backus, Citrus Center Research
Technician. They're hard to spot, but the little vectors called
psyllids, can carry the deadly citrus greening disease which
kills citrus trees. "We have seen a bit of an increase in the
psyllid population in the commercial groves this year," said Ray
Prewett, Texas Citrus Mutual President. With over 9,000 samples
of psyllids taken since the first citrus greening discovery in
January, there have been only 14 sites across the Valley with
positive disease carrying psyllids. "But research has shown that
just because it tests positive in the lab, doesn't mean it can
actually spread the disease. Only a small percent do. But a
small percent of millions of