The opportunity for agricultural, urban and forest pests to enter California is always present due to the massive movement of people, goods, and commercial shipments into the State. Early detection of these pests is necessary; before they spread to agriculture, urban, or native habitats.

The San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, operates a Pest Detection Insect program to detect new populations of destructive insect pests not normally found in California . Exotic pests such as the Medfly, attack over 250 types of crops, including many common home garden fruits and vegetables, turning them into maggot infested, inedible mush. Therefore, it is extremely important for us to find these pests before they can do serious damage.  
 
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If exotic destructive pests were to become established in California , home gardeners, farmers and even organic farmers would have a difficult time producing quality food without an increase in the use of pesticides. In addition, food prices at the market would be higher. The California economy and job market would be hard hit as well, due to foreign quarantines placed on California agricultural exports. 
 
An important way we work to control these pests is through the insect trap program. Our staff place hundreds of insect traps county wide, predominately in residential yards, to detect the following target insects and other destructive pests.