RIVERSIDE – (INT) – A wasp that doesn’t sting people and doesn’t eat plants is the newest weapon against the dreaded Asian citrus psyllid.

The psyllid has spread fear among citrus growers because of the disease it inflicts on trees.

Three hundred wasps imported from Pakistan were released Tuesday into a 7-acre grove of citrus trees at UC Riverside targeting the psyllid.

Spokesman Steve Lyle at the State Office of Food and Agriculture says the psyllid is becoming established in California, and the war is on to limit its spread.

“We will have the opportunity to limit it as much as possible. While we’re detecting the psyllid in many areas of Southern California, our approach is to treat each of those areas to try and knock the populations down.”

The wasp is a natural enemy of the psyllid and poses no risk to the environment.

Story Date: December 26, 2014