Agricultural officials across Northern California are warning Costco shoppers not to move recently purchased grapevines, citrus trees or other fruit trees after invasive glassy-winged sharpshooters were detected on plant shipments sent to stores in Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties, raising concern across Wine Country.
Sonoma County said the pest was found on grapevine shipments delivered to Costco stores in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park. Solano County separately reported detections involving Costco stores in Vacaville and Fairfield, while Napa County said 157 grapevines sold through the Napa Costco remain unaccounted for after one glassy-winged sharpshooter egg mass was found in a shipment there.
The insect is a serious concern for Wine Country because it can spread Pierce’s disease, a bacterial infection that is often fatal to grapevines and can significantly reduce vineyard production, according to agricultural officials…