JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The majority of citrus in Florida is being affected by the citrus greening bacteria.
“I've heard the statement before that 100 percent of mature citrus trees are infected or are possibly infected,” environmental horticulture agent Wayne Hobbs said.
According to University of Florida researchers, the disease first showed up in the state back in August 2005. Since then, it’s been a growing problem.
Right now, the Florida Department of Agriculture is offering a free program to homeowners that they hope will help them protect their own trees.
Folks with citrus in their yards can get free wasps that can help slow the disease that some in the citrus industry describe as a plague.
"Greening is not really the best word, but Asians have the best word to describe it," Michael Barwald, the owner of Flying Dragon Citrus Nursery, said. "They call it the yellow death, because the tree goes from green to light green to yellow to dead."
Barwald, who is known as the Citrus Doctor in the Jacksonville area, said greening has been a problem for years.
"Up until now, there's not been a whole lot you can do," he said.
Barwald said he thinks the state is doing a wonderful thing by fighting the problem with a natural solution: wasps.
Those who are concerned about the wasps having stingers need not be. The state is also offering them to homeowners at no cost.
"As these wasps become more prevalent in homeowner yards, they will basically be able to move through and provide some control of the insects that carry the greening disease," Hobbs said.
Barwald said he’s hopeful.
"If you take care of your trees and they are as healthy as they can be, and with the wasps, there's a good chance that the greening thing could be somewhat under control, and you can (be) very successful -- such as crops -- for years to come," Barwald said.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and the University of Florida are in the very early stages of a collaboration where one day people could pick up the wasps from county extension offices around the state. For now, they're being mailed.
Click here to find out how you can get the wasps sent to you.