San Bernardino County inspects Ontario nursery to stop spread of plant pests

San Bernardino County agricultural standards officers visited Pinedo Nursery in Ontario to conduct a regulatory nursery inspection focused on documentation, quarantine compliance and visual checks for pests and disease.

"Today, we are at Pinedo Nursery in Ontario, California to conduct a regulatory nursery inspection," an agricultural standards officer said. Inspectors said they check incoming product, verify certification for quarantine requirements and perform row-by-row visual inspections to ensure material is free of pests and disease.

County inspectors said a nursery must be licensed with the state to sell or move plants or plant products and must comply with quarantines and county guidelines. They said inspections look for general cleanliness and the absence of pests on nursery stock.

Inspectors described monitoring for the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a large leafhopper that can carry Pierce’s disease, which is harmful to grape growers. "We have traps set here to monitor their presence," an officer said.

If inspectors find a harmful pest, they said they typically collect a sample and send it to the state laboratory in Sacramento. Results from that lab influence follow-up steps, including cleaning, treatment or other requirements before the product can be released for sale.

County officials said the objective of these inspections is to catch pests early so that plant material leaving nurseries does not spread pests or disease within the county, the state or beyond. Learn more about Agriculture, Weights and Measures programs and resources at awm.sbcounty.gov, the county said.