The County Agricultural Commissioner has asked for the City’s assistance in getting the word out on the European Grapevine Moth in Sonoma Valley. The following is provided for public information, reference, and distribution as appropriate.
On Tuesday, Mayor Steve Barbose and I met with Cathy Neville, County Agricultural Commissioner, regarding the European Grapevine Moth (EGVM) quarantine, which is under effect in Sonoma Valley. Twelve moths have been found in Sonoma Valley; the moth was reported in the U.S. for the first time in Napa Valley in October 2009. These moths are more destructive than the Light Brown Apple Moths. It is believed that the moth larvae have travelled from Napa via grape processing equipment, and the Commissioner is requiring that vineyards enter into agreements regarding equipment movement and application of pesticides. They do have approved organic pesticides; no aerial spraying has been approved for EGVM pesticides. She is asking the City to help get the word out to homeowners who have small vineyards or patches of grapevine in their yards in order that they may become educated regarding the moth and signs of infestation. The Commissioner’s Office is coordinating the local trapping survey for EGVM and she notes that University of California Cooperative Extension is strongly encouraging growers who are within 1,000 meters of a moth find to treat for EGVM. The officials monitoring this new moth also have serious concerns about abandoned vineyards, which may become hosts to the moth. The location of abandoned vineyards should be reported to the Agricultural Commissioner (see link below for contact information).
For more information, the Agricultural Commissioner’s web page on this issue is http://www.sonoma-county.org/agcomm/european_gv_moth.htm
