Grapefruits are typically harvested by hand using ladders and long poles with clippers attached to the end. Workers climb up the ladders to reach the fruit on the higher branches and use the poles to pick grapefruits out of reach. The grapefruits are gently placed into large bins and transported to a processing facility where they are sorted, washed, and packaged for distribution. Some farms also use mechanical harvesters that shake the trees to dislodge the fruit, but this method can damage the trees and result in lower-quality fruit.