The County of San Luis Obispo’s Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures’ Pest Detection Program is focused on finding destructive insect pests and the plant diseases they may carry.  The Program is part of a three-pronged approach to keep destructive insects out: pest exclusion, pest detection and pest eradication.  County Pest Detection Trappers, working year-round, act as detectives, examining strategically placed insect traps located in plants favored by specific invasive insects.  With homeowners’ cooperation, traps are placed throughout local urban communities which are likely points of introduction.  Traps contain lures that attract targeted insect species, intercepting any that may be in the surrounding neighborhood.
 
An example of one targeted pest is the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly). The Medfly attacks over 250 types of crops, including many common home garden fruits and vegetables, turning them into maggot-infested, inedible mush.  It is extremely important to find these types of pests before they become established and do serious damage. 

The most important component of the successful Pest Detection Trap Program is the partnership and cooperation of homeowners in granting permission to host insect traps on private property. You can help protect your neighborhood and our county from new destructive exotic insect pests by volunteering your fruit trees and garden for placement of out insect traps.  

Submit an "Approval To Trap In My Yard" form online.

Be sure to indicate the types of trees you have, street address, phone number, if you have a dog in the yard and any other information necessary to enter your yard to place the trap.