Invasives in the News

Highlights from the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Program Managers meeting

August 19, 2015

Updates from the hemlock woolly adelgid management meeting in Clarion, Pennsylvania.

Oak wilt an aggressive disease that kills thousands of trees

August 18, 2015

By Jan Beglinger Genesee Master Gardener

Oak wilt is an aggressive and often deadly disease that affects all species of oaks (Quercus). It is one of the most serious tree diseases in the eastern United States.

Each year thousands of oaks die from this disease in yards, public landscapes and forests. It has been found in 21 states, with considerable damage occurring in...

August Marks Peak Month For Invasive Tree Pests

August 12, 2015

August is “Tree Check” month. It’s the time when ecologists are out surveying the forests to see if invasive insect species are showing up in the state. Here in Vermont scientists are primarily on the lookout for Asian longhorned beetle, Emerald ash borer, and hemlock woolly adelgid.

So far the longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer haven’t infiltrated...

At Issue: Feeling the burn of wild parsnip

August 8, 2015

"ESSEX, Vt. -
As a landscaper, Judson Kimble is used to pulling out tough weeds. But this plant fought back.

"The foliage, the stems, the flowers. Any of it. If you break it, it all has juice inside of it," Kimble said.

That juice earned the wild parsnip its second name, "poison parsnip." And it's the reason Kimble has long, red marks all over his arms. When the sap hit his...

New York State Program Enhances Awareness Of Invasive Species

August 7, 2015

"New York State recently completed its second Invasive Species Awareness Week. The effort to expand awareness about the spread and prevention of invasive species is patterned on an effort that began in the Adirondacks.

USDA Asks People to Check Their Trees for Signs of the Asian Longhorned Beetle During the Month of August

August 4, 2015

Washington, Aug. 3, 2015 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announces August is Tree Check Month and urges people to check trees for signs of the invasive Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). August is a time of peak emergence for the beetle and is most likely when the adult beetle can be seen infesting trees.

DEC: Hogweed’s little brother spreads

August 3, 2015

Article from NY state

"An attractive yellow flower blooming along Southern Tier highways and in open areas is related to the giant hogweed and should be avoided, the state Department of Environmental Conservation advises.

The wild parsnip has expanded its range in recent years, and while not as dangerous as the giant hogweed, which can severe burns and blisters, is still not to...

Invasive species spotter program hopes to spot and stop problem plants

July 23, 2015

Article from P.E.I., Canada:

"There's a new way for Islanders to help keep invasive plants under control.

The first P.E.I. Invasive Species Spotter's Network training workshop starts Thursday.

People will be trained to identify, photograph and report invasive species, to help catch new ones before they become established and widespread on the Island.

Organizers hope...

Emerald Ash Borer Infestation of White Fringetree Found to be Widespread

July 22, 2015

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive pest that is decimating ash trees across the United States and Canada. By 2019, it’s estimated that the beetle will have caused economic damage to the tune of $10 billion.

Life Outdoors: Water chestnut: invasive aquatic plant

July 21, 2015

"MAYNARD Water chestnut, an invasive water plant, has a nature akin to lily pads on steroids, growing rapidly in nutrient-rich fresh water ponds, lakes and slow-flowing rivers. Unchecked, it will almost completely cover water surfaces, making boating, swimming and fishing impossible. The dense floating mat of overlapping leaves also blocks sunlight penetration, causing oxygen deprivation...

U of Minn. study: Invasive plants get a leg up in fertilized grasslands

July 15, 2015

"A University of Minnesota study published Wednesday shows that invasive plant species have an advantage over native species when grasslands are fertilized.

The study involved multiple years of data on 64 grassland sites in 13 countries around the world, including the university's Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve near East Bethel, Minn.

Researchers added phosphorus and...

Invader species: Non-native plants taking over state

July 9, 2015

"Japanese knotweed is spreading along local riverbeds and roadsides faster than anyone can kill it, and it might be too late to get rid of it.

And knotweed is just the most prevalent in a horde of invading botanicals that are quickly moving in.

Joining the ubiquitous thick, viny, broad-leafed, ever-expanding blanket are more than a half dozen other invasive species — to the alarm...

Shady lanes returning to NJ towns bitten by Asian longhorned beetle

July 6, 2015

By Lisa Eckelbecker
Telegram & Gazette Staff

LINDEN, New Jersey – Jeffrey A. Tandul’s friends like to joke that he’s a “dead tree savant,” able to spot dying trees from blocks away, but on a gray June day he’s more focused on the living.

Mr. Tandul, chairman of the Shade Tree Commission in this...

Over $2 Million to Combat Invasive Plants in B.C.

July 2, 2015

The spread of invasive plants will be nipped in the bud thanks to a $2.25 million investment from the provincial government.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced that millions of dollars in funding will be distributed over the next three year in order to help reduce the spread of invasive species in British Columbia.

Out-of-State Firewood Now Banned in Rhode Island

June 28, 2015

If you plan on stacking up some firewood for camping and the backyard fire pit, or simply stocking up before the winter, don’t plan on buying any non-local logs.

You can blame the Asian Longhorned Beetle and the Emerald Ash Borer for a ban on out-of-state firewood and a prohibition on the transport of wood from the neighboring states of Massachusetts and Connecticut across borders...