Invasives in the News

Emerald Ash Borer Beetle Detected in Louisiana

February 18, 2015

Baton Rouge, La. - The emerald ash borer, a severe insect pest of ash trees, has been confirmed in Webster Parish making Louisiana the 25th state to confirm the presence of this beetle.

UGA researchers unlock new way to clone hemlock trees able to fight off deadly pest

February 4, 2015

Athens, Ga. - For the first time, University of Georgia researchers have successfully cryogenically frozen germplasm from hemlock trees being wiped out across the eastern U.S. by an invasive insect. They've also unlocked a new way to clone the few hemlock trees apparently fighting off the hemlock woolly adelgid, which could potentially lead to a solution for the pest.

Long Island's southern pine beetle infestation now 'full-blown,' DEC says

January 31, 2015

A beetle that has killed thousands of acres of pines across the nation has infested much more of Long Island than previously thought, and state officials want to cut down trees in an effort to stop the spread of the pest before winter ends.

The southern pine beetle, first confirmed on Long Island in the fall, now has been found in an array of federal, state, county, town and...

Finger Lakes Forest officials target tree pest

January 30, 2015

The government has a plan to combat the spread of a tree-killing insect in the Finger Lakes National Forest.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said the U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to target the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid with biological and chemical control techniques.

In November, Schumer, D-N.Y., urged the U.S. Forest Service to make anti-adelgid efforts a funding priority.

Vermont offers grants to fight aquatic invasives

January 29, 2015

Vermont is again offering grants to communities in their quest to slow the spread of overly aggressive aquatic plants.

The Department of Environmental Conservation encourages municipalities to complete online applications by Feb. 11 for funds, training and technical assistance.

Invasive aquatic species are increasingly a nuisance to swimmers, boaters, anglers — and a threat to...

Infested Ash Trees Find New Life As Wood Put To Good Use

January 26, 2015

City officials have been sawing down ash trees in Montreal since 2011 when an emerald ash borer infestation first took aim at at the trees, but one borough has been doing its best to recycle the wood.

The Cote des Neiges-NDG borough alone has axed 400 ash trees and has also put considerable effort into maintaining a useful legacy for the fallen arbor.

Worcester councilors balk at large-scale tree removals for beetle control

January 20, 2015

WORCESTER — City Councilors Tuesday tried to find another way to deal with an infestation of Asian longhorned beetles in and around Green Hill Park.

The Massachusetts Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative Eradication Program, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, is removing about 200 infested trees discovered in the northern...

Where in the world is the Emerald ash borer?

January 20, 2015

The Emerald ash borer (EAB), is native to a very large geographic area of East Asia that includes northeast China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mongolia and the Russian Far East. In its home range EAB is a minor, not particularly common secondary pest that attacks stressed trees of the local species of ash, predominately Chinese and Manchurian ash. Before 2002, EAB had never been found outside of its...

Aquatic Nuisance Species Grant Opportunity for Municipalities

January 16, 2015

The Department of Environmental Conservation is pleased to announce the availability of project year 2015 Application for Aquatic Nuisance Control Grant-in-Aid Grants. This grant program supports...

Emerald ash borer confirmed as threat to white fringetree

January 15, 2015

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), also known as EAB, is an invasive insect pest from Asia that has killed millions of trees in the United States and Canada and has caused billions of dollars of damage since it was discovered in 2002. Fortunately, its damage has been limited to ash trees—or so we thought.

Searching for Survivors; Researchers in the Midwest are studying ash trees that appear to have survived EAB infestations

January 14, 2015

Since the discovery of emerald ash borer (EAB) in 2002, the news of the infestation has been bleak. Containment efforts have failed to stop the relentless spread of this ash-killing pest and billions of trees are at risk.

Now that the dust is settling after the initial infestation in the Midwest, scientists are able to research whether any ash trees were able to survive....

The goats fighting America's plant invasion

January 13, 2015

Each country has its own invasive species and rampant plants with a tendency to grow out of control. In most, the techniques for dealing with them are similar - a mixture of powerful chemicals and diggers. But in the US a new weapon has joined the armoury in recent years - the goat.

In a field just outside Washington, Andy, a tall goat with...

When You Stray From a Trail, Invasive Species Follow

January 12, 2015

Deep (and even not so deep) in the Frederick City Watershed in Frederick, Md., the Japanese stiltgrass grows in thick, luscious bunches. To the untrained eye, it's pretty, with its leafy layers blanketing the forest and transforming the ground into something out of a Grimm fairytale. But to those who know plants, the stiltgrass, along with several other invasive species , is less of a...

Worcester councilor questions beetle fight strategy

January 10, 2015

By Thomas Caywood TELEGRAM & GAZETTE (MA), Saturday, January 10, 2015

WORCESTER — With federal Asian longhorned beetle fighters set to take up their chain saws again to go after newly discovered infestations in the woods of Green Hill Park, at least one city councilor is calling for a resumption of pesticide treatments previously abandoned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture....

Oak Ridge Lab Confirms Blight Resistance of American Chestnut

January 7, 2015

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), working collaboratively with scientists funded by The American Chestnut Foundation, have helped confirm that addition of a wheat gene increases the blight resistance of American chestnut trees.