The Great Lime Shortage of 2014

Hell with droughts, floods, earthquakes caused by fracking — we're facing a lime shortage!  Drink prices going through the roof, or — even worse — Margaritas and Mojitos made with lemon juice!?!?!?!

Fortunately, a tiny parasitic wasp might be our Savior.  Limes in Florida, Texas and California are getting decimated by Huanglongbing, a citrus greening disease.   Huanglongbing is being spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, a tiny plant-eating insect.  And the Tamarixia radiate wasp kills these lime-eating psyllids.

The USDA will be spending $1.5 million on a breeding program to increase the numbers of these Tamarixia radiate wasps. The wasps will be released in Florida, Texas and California.  And believe it or not, Congress has appropriated $125 million to a fund for preventing Huanglongbing over the next five years.  You go Congress!

John Boehner may hate clean air, endangered species and poor people, but don't fuck with his Mojito.