My citrus tree looks sick. What do I do?

Signs to look for

• Asian citrus psyllid (ACP): a tiny insect, 3 to 4 millimeters long (about 1/8 inch), mottled brown and dusty-looking. It is easiest to spot on new leaves at the tips of branches.Source: CDFA psyllid pest profile · CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus (checked October 9, 2026)
• Its young (nymphs) are yellowish-orange and give off little white waxy tubes.Source: CDFA psyllid pest profile · UC IPM Pest Note 74155 (checked October 9, 2026)
• HLB (citrus greening): blotchy yellow mottling on leaves that is not the same on both sides of the middle vein. Nutrient problems tend to look more even.Source: CDFA HLB pest profile · CDFA, What to Expect after a confirmed HLB detection (PDF) (checked October 9, 2026)
• Yellow shoots on single branches, corky leaf veins, and small, lopsided fruit that stays partly green and tastes bitter.Source: CDFA HLB pest profile · CDFA, What to Expect after a confirmed HLB detection (PDF) (checked October 9, 2026)
• An infected tree can look healthy for months or years. Only a lab test can confirm HLB.Source: CDFA HLB pest profile (checked October 9, 2026)
• The psyllid and HLB are not harmful to people or animals, but HLB kills citrus trees and there is no cure.Source: CDFA, What to Expect after a confirmed HLB detection (PDF) · CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org (checked October 9, 2026)

If you think your tree has it

1. 1Don't move the tree, or any cuttings, leaves, branches or citrus green waste. Moving them can carry the pest and the disease to other trees.Source: CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus · 3 CCR 3439 (checked October 9, 2026)
2. 2Call the free CDFA Pest Hotline, 1-800-491-1899, or your county agricultural commissioner's office. You can also use CDFA's Report a Pest form.Source: CDFA Report a Pest · CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org (checked October 9, 2026)
3. 3Give the address and say what you saw. Photos help. CDFA or the county can take samples from the tree and any insects for a lab test.Source: CDFA Report a Pest · CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org (checked October 9, 2026)
4. 4CDFA surveyors carry a CDFA-issued badge, will never ask to enter your home and will never ask for money: the work is free of charge to residents.Source: CDFA, What to Expect after a confirmed HLB detection (PDF) (checked October 9, 2026)
5. 5If the lab confirms HLB, the tree must be treated and removed. CDFA removes it at no cost to the resident and issues a hold notice so the other citrus plants on the property aren't moved.Source: CDFA, What to Expect after a confirmed HLB detection (PDF) · CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org (checked October 9, 2026)
6. 6CDFA also surveys and treats citrus within 250 meters (about 820 feet) of a confirmed find, and gives written notice before any insecticide treatment.Source: CDFA, What to Expect after a confirmed HLB detection (PDF) (checked October 9, 2026)

Find your county agricultural commissioner's phone →

Prevent it

• Inspect your trees every month, and whenever you water, prune or spray them. Look closely at new leaves.Source: CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus · UC IPM Pest Note 74155 (checked October 9, 2026)
• Ask a local nursery or garden center which products can help protect your tree from the psyllid.Source: CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus · UC IPM Pest Note 74155 (checked October 9, 2026)
• Buy citrus trees only from a reputable, licensed nursery in your area.Source: CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus · CDFA licensed nursery search (checked October 9, 2026)
• Don't bring citrus plants, cuttings or leaves from other states or countries.Source: CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus (checked October 9, 2026)
• Dry out citrus clippings or double-bag them before they leave your property. Processed green waste may go straight to a landfill or licensed compost facility inside the area.Source: CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus · 3 CCR 3439 (checked October 9, 2026)
• Remove stems and leaves and wash fruit well before sharing it. Consider removing citrus trees nobody cares for.Source: CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus (checked October 9, 2026)

Quarantine basics

In general: don't take citrus plants, cuttings or leaves out of a quarantine area; fruit with no leaves or stems is not a covered item. Read the rules, with sources →

Check if your address is in the quarantine →

Common questions

What do I do if my citrus tree has HLB?

Don't move the tree, cuttings, leaves or clippings, and call the free CDFA Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899. CDFA or your county agricultural commissioner can take samples for a lab test.Source: CDFA Report a Pest · CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus (checked October 9, 2026)

Who do I call?

The CDFA Pest Hotline, 1-800-491-1899 (free), or your county agricultural commissioner's office.Source: CDFA Report a Pest (checked October 9, 2026)

Will they remove my tree?

Only if a lab confirms HLB in the tree, or in a psyllid nymph taken from it. Then the tree must be treated and removed; CDFA does this free of charge and will never ask you for money. If only an adult psyllid tests positive, the tree is sampled again but not removed.Source: CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org · CDFA, What to Expect after a confirmed HLB detection (PDF) (checked October 9, 2026)

Can I move citrus out of the quarantine?

Citrus plants, cuttings, leaves, stems and budwood may not be moved out of the quarantine area unless they meet federal requirements. Fruit with no leaves or stems attached is not a covered item under the state rule, but the program asks residents not to move citrus fruit into or out of HLB quarantine zones.Source: 3 CCR 3439 · CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org, Protect your citrus (checked October 9, 2026)