Family citrus farms are shown in Terra Ceia and Bartow, Fla., in the spring of 2026. Florida
Family citrus farms are shown in Terra Ceia and Bartow, Fla., in the spring of 2026. Florida

How a Tiny Insect Decimated Florida’s Citrus, and What Orchardists Are Doing About It

The Sunshine State’s citrus farmers are holding on after a 95 percent industry decline in the past 30 years.
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TERRA CEIA, Fla.—Lifelong citrus farmer Sidney Tillett cut a path through a grove that has endured in his family for four generations, stopping his SUV between two rows of trees. On one side was a long plot of lush green saplings, covered with protective mesh bags tied to stakes in the ground. 

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