A new insectary in California targets agricultural pests like the glassy-winged sharpshooter and the eucalyptus longhorned borer.
Exotic pests are in the news here.
No, not the politicians in the nation's capital, or corporate lobbyists, or even us media jackals, but rather an altogether different class of slug, nit, and louse. That would be the pesky and microscopic kind that get into lettuce, oranges, and grapes and can ruin the food industry's whole day, while costing consumers billions. A new species enters California every 60 days. The sharpshooter is poised to wreak havoc on California's Napa and Sonoma wine industries while the borer is causing millions in damage to one of the state's signature trees. And they are just two of about six new species to enter the state every year, many of which are harmful to agriculture or even humans.