Vines At Risk of Invasive Pest
Sacramento, June 5, 2026 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is urging anyone who purchased grapevines from Costco stores in Northern California between April 21 and May 21 to contact their local agricultural commissioner after an invasive pest was discovered among the 13,000 vines shipped during that period.
Grapevines from a Fresno nursery shipped to California Costco stores in April and May were found to be carrying the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), an insect capable of spreading a potentially lethal vine disease.
On May 19, the first glassy-winged sharpshooter was detected on vines sold at the warehouse retailer, triggering an immediate and widespread containment effort by CDFA, agricultural commissioners and winegrape growers throughout Northern California. Officials are responding to public reports, conducting inspections and public outreach, and trapping near stores and locations where purchased vines were taken. They are also ensuring that potentially infested plants are safely contained and disposed of.
In addition to destroying infested stock still in Costco warehouses, CDFA is working with agricultural commissioners and conducting public outreach to locate vines sold to consumers across 23 counties, as well as neighboring at-risk counties.
“While many vines have been intercepted and destroyed, locating the thousands that may still be in customers’ hands remains our top priority,” said California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross. “Anyone who purchased these vines should contact their local agricultural commissioner immediately.”
Costco is offering a full refund to anyone who purchased these vines. Customers do not need to return the vines to receive a refund. To prevent the potential spread of the pest, CDFA officials instead urge customers to:
- Immediately contact your county agricultural commissioner
- Keep the plant in its original pot or container and away from other plants
- If possible, place the plant inside two trash bags, one inside the other, and seal them closed
- Do not place the plant in the trash or compost bin
- An agricultural inspector will come, inspect the vine for GWSS and, if necessary, remove and dispose of the vine
Winegrapes are one of California’s largest cash crops, generating approximately $73 billion annually in economic activity and supporting more than 422,000 jobs statewide. A 2025 economic study estimated that Pierce’s disease, which is spread by the glassy-winged sharpshooter, could cost California approximately $166 million annually if left unchecked.
California first recognized the full threat of the glassy-winged sharpshooter in 1999, when a major Pierce’s disease outbreak in the Temecula Valley led to the destruction of more than 300 acres of vineyards. Winegrape growers quickly responded by working with the CDFA to create the Pierce’s Disease Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board to control the pest and find solutions to the disease it carries. The program has successfully contained GWSS for over 25 years. Visit cdfa.ca.gov/pdcp/PD_GWSS_Board.html.
