Root weevils cause Newport quarantine

State authorities declared part of Newport Beach to be a quarantine

zone Tuesday in response to a weevil infestation.

Diaprepes root weevils have been observed at 14 spots in Newport

Beach, according to the California Department of Food and

Agriculture. The weevils are insects native to the Caribbean. They

are considered a threat to more than 270 plant species, particularly

citrus plants.

Residents in the quarantine zone will face restrictions on their

ability to move plants, soil and plant waste in and out of the zone,

department spokesman Steve Lyle said. Grass clippings are not subject

to the quarantine.

The northern boundary of the quarantine zone is University Avenue,

Lyle said. The boundary follows the Corona del Mar (73) Freeway south

to Bonita Canyon Road. From that point, the border runs along Bonita

Canyon Road to MacArthur Boulevard, where it turns south again toward

San Joaquin Hills Road.

San Joaquin Hills Road marks the southern end of the quarantine.

From that street, the zone’s western border is Jamboree Road to the

intersection with Eastbluff Drive. The boundary runs along Eastbluff

Drive until that road crosses Jamboree Road again and becomes

University Avenue.

Authorities do not know exactly how the insects came to Newport

Beach. Regulators want to eliminate the pests before they travel

somewhere else.

“It’s not just a threat to [agriculture] in Orange County. What if

it hitches a ride to northern San Diego county or Tulare County?”

Lyle asked.

Specific instructions on how residents living within the

quarantine zone should comply with the restrictions could be

announced as early as today or Thursday, Lyle said. The quarantine

could last three to five years, until the target weevils are gone.