The glassy-winged sharpshooter is highly mobile. Entomologists say it can feed on more than 70 species of plants. This gives the vector a 100-mile or more range. We need aggressive trapping and monitoring where the sharpshooter currently exists and in counties where it doesn't. We must support researchers to determine which techniques provide the best control.
Monitoring is the backbone of any effective control program.
Several counties already trap for the sharpshooter. To date, Riverside County and local growers have borne the brunt of these costs. They have been in the trenches fighting this pest. More must be done to support them and expand their work. Growers of host crops must be alerted to the seriousness of this threat and how to identify the pest.