A pesky moth which has so far been limited to the California coast could become a costly problem for Yuba-Sutter if it makes it here.

Local fruit farmers are hoping that state officials can stamp out the light brown apple moth before it can get to this area.

"We just hope they'll be successful in eradi-cation in the coastal area so we don't have to deal with another pest in our area," said Sutter County Agricultural Commissioner Mark Quisenberry.

The invader from Australia could cost the state an estimated $160 million to $640 million in crop damage annually if California becomes infested, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

So far, 120 traps set up in Sutter County have not caught any of the moths. The insect has not made its way here yet from the Bay area and Central Coast but could end up here

if it is not eradicated.

Quisenberry was one of about two dozen people who attended a Monday gathering hosted by the Yuba-Sutter Farm Bureau in Yuba City that delved into the efforts to rid the state of what could be a potentially costly problem for farmers — and an environmental pest that could eat native firs, pines and hundreds of other plants.

While the moth problem is so far limited to the coast, Secretary of California Department of Food and Agriculture A.G. Kawamura has been visiting locations across the state to talk about efforts to eradicate the moth.

Kawamura told area farmers he was here in Yuba City because there has been such an outcry on the coast that spraying has been stopped.

If the moth isn't knocked out, it's certain to end up in Yuba-Sutter at some point, said John Connell, director of plant health and pest prevention services for the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

"It's not the Bay Area —it's the state of California," said Connell.

State officials are waging a statewide outreach campaign in the face of challenges from coastal residents who have opposed pheromone spraying of synthetic chemical pheromones. The aerial bombardment would hopefully confuse the moths' mating enough so they would die out here.

Dozens of people complained of symptoms including eye, skin or respiratory irritation following last year's spraying. But state officials said they have found no conclusive link between the moth spraying and reported illnesses in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties last fall.

The spraying program is one of a number of tactics to be employed this year in an all-out battle against the moth. Other tactics include ground pheromone treatments, and the use of stingless parasitic wasps.

While the spraying has caused controversy, state officials note that the potential damage is unseen because there are not enough moths yet to cause much damage. And a moth seems less threatening than other more seemingly hostile invaders such as fire ants.

"This is probably one of the most contentious invasive species to come to California in quite a while because the eradication effort is complex," said Connell.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter John Dickey at 749-4711 or jdickey@appealdemocrat.com.