Agricultural officials in Napa and Sonoma counties are racing to locate hundreds of potentially infested grapevines sold at local Costco warehouses.
According to the Press Democrat, the plants, shipped from a San Joaquin Valley nursery, were exposed to the glassy-winged sharpshooter—a voracious insect capable of decimating the local wine industry by spreading deadly Pierce’s disease.
While officials have recovered hundreds of vines through rigorous contact tracing, many remain unaccounted for, and some recovered samples have already tested positive for pest eggs. The scare isn’t just local; the state reports that thirteen thousand vines were shipped across twenty-four counties, with shoppers potentially transporting them even further.
Residents who purchased grapevines from Costco between April and May are urged to contact agricultural officials immediately to help protect California’s vineyards.
