It has been very hot, over 100 degrees. That kind of temperature will burn up early crops of lettuce, which could delay harvest and cause some widespread gapping of supplies this Fall. It can be common, with late summer row crops, that you tend to find more insects in your produce, particularly greens, lettuces, broccoli and cauliflower. It's not because farmers are doing a bad job or because our buyers are buying cheaper product. It's simply a matter of nature.
Insects then multiply very quickly with the heat, moisture of the Salinas Valley.
Insect populations skyrocket before growers can get it under control once again. As growers scale back operations late in the season, you tend to see more weeds growing around the fields. Weeds are hosts for insects. More weeds means more insects. It's an easy process to rid produce of insects.