An invasive pest found on grapevines sold at Costco stores in Sacramento County as well as Costco stores elsewhere has prompted a public alert, the Sacramento County Agricultural Commissioner\u2019s Office said in a news release.<\/p>\n
The glassy-winged sharpshooter is an invasive insect that poses a serious threat<\/a> to California\u2019s vineyards.<\/p>\n The county stated 160 grapevines delivered to Sacramento area Costco locations have been destroyed thus far.<\/p>\n But, the county noted, \u201cHundreds of grapevines are unaccounted for and are in the possession of community members who purchased them at Sacramento Costco\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGWSS is a non-native invasive pest and vector of Pierce\u2019s Disease, a killer of grapevines,\u201d said Sacramento County Agricultural Commissioner Chrisandra Flores. \u201cIt is imperative that the community pull together to help us limit the risk to our local vineyards and agriculture.\u201d<\/p>\n The affected grapevines came from Burchell Nursery, Inc., located in Fresno County, officials said.<\/p>\n A news release by the state Department of Food and Agriculture said shipments containing the insects<\/a> also went to Costco stores in Alameda, Marin, Placer, San Mateo, Solano, Stanislaus and Yolo counties. Authorities are still evaluating additional suspect samples from several other counties, including Butte, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Merced, Napa and Sonoma counties.<\/p>\n Officials in Napa and Yuba counties said glassy winged sharpshooters had been confirmed in grape plants sold at Costcos in those counties.<\/p>\n Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner Humberto Izquierdo also urged residents to take immediate precautions. Grapevines were sold at the Woodland Costco, a release from the county said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are working closely with Costco and our state and regional partners to identify affected plants and protect local agriculture and home gardens,\u201d Izquierdo said.<\/p>\n Although the pest does not pose a threat to humans or animals, residents should not attempt to return, transport, relocate, dispose of, or compost the plants, according to the release, since doing so may contribute to the spread of the infestation.<\/p>\n Agricultural officials are urging anyone who purchased the grapevines from the Costco stores beginning April 21, 2026, to contact their county agriculture office.<\/p>\n The insects also were found on grapevines sold at a Costco store in Marysville beginning May 21, the Yuba County Agricultural Commissioner\u2019s Office said in a separate news release. The Nevada County Agricultural Commissioner\u2019s Office also issued an alert<\/a> on the infested grapevines.<\/p>\n Back in 2019, Sacramento County was able to prevent outbreaks of the disease that\u2019s caused by the glassy-winged sharpshooters, according to previous reporting from The Bee.<\/a><\/p>\n Costco is directly contacting members who purchased the plants and has been a cooperative partner with all county agricultural commissioners, a news release said.<\/p>\n \u201cCostco is not at fault<\/a> here, and they\u2019ve been an exceptional partner throughout this process,\u201d Marin County Agricultural Commissioner Joe Deviney said. \u201cThey acted quickly, cooperated fully, and helped us reach customers as fast as possible. We\u2019re fortunate to have such a proactive retailer working with us to protect Marin\u2019s agriculture.\u201d<\/p>\n What are glassy-winged sharpshooters?<\/p>\n