Plant Pest Diagnostics Laboratory

NEW! Summer 2023 Lab Newsletter

Regulatory Programs

The San Diego County Plant Pest Diagnostics Laboratory is an integral part of regulatory activities that protect local agriculture. The lab works directly with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and County Apiary, Integrated Pest Management, Nursery Inspection, Pest Detection, Pierce's Disease Control, Pest Exclusion, and Quarantine programs to rapidly detect, identify, and respond to invasive pests.

Tour the Lab

Suspect Invasive Species

Please help protect our local agricultural environments by alerting us to any suspect invasive species found in the County.

Pests can be reported directly to CDFA Report a Pest Hotline 1-800-491-1899 or virtually as photographs to our email (Labs.AWM@sdcounty.ca.gov). Please send only one photograph per email due to file size limits. Include a completed Specimen for Determination form with all sample submissions.

After review, you may be asked to provide a sample at one of our two locations. Follow-up instructions will be provided via the email or phone number provided on the Specimen for Determination form.

Commercial Agricultural Operations

The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Advisors assist industry with pest management (858-822-7711; cesandiego@ucanr.edu).

Plant disease diagnostics (Plant Pathology, Botany, Seed, Nematology) are offered directly through the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Plant Pest Diagnostics Center.

PDR form | Sample Preparation and Submission | Plant Pathology Service Fee Schedule

Commercial nursery or greenhouse growers can now submit ornamental plant pathology samples at no cost to Greenhouse and Nursery Pathology UC Davis. 

Residential Samples

The AWM Lab does not handle residential plant, insect, weed, seed, or other samples. If you have garden issues or questions, contact the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Master Gardeners Program for assistance at (858) 822-6910. Please note, UCCE does not accept samples.

Residents are encouraged to submit unfamiliar insects to iNaturalist for identification. You may also contact CDFA's Plant Pest Diagnostics Center or a private lab* for agricultural tissue, soil, or water analysis.

Mosquitoes, rats, mice, and/or ticks  only can be referred to the County Vector Control Program.

*Please note: No endorsement of these products/companies is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products/companies that are not included.