Biocontrol Deconstructed, Part 2

Posted on October 20, 2011 by rhallberg

The hemlock woolly adelgid has destroyed millions of acres of Eastern hemlocks in the Eastern United States. Other invasives such as the gypsy moth, bean plataspid, and Asian longhorned beetle wreak economic and ecological havoc every year, with few available chemicals to control them. Biological control is often a viable option for pest management when other available controls are not feasible or do not work.

Filed under: Invasive species | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

How Do You Control Corn Earworm? Wake ‘Em Up!

Posted on September 30, 2011 by rhallberg

A team of scientists in Ohio has discovered a new way to control Helicoverpa zea, or corn earworm. They have developed a chemical that interrupts the insect’s dormancy.

Filed under: Insects, Invasive species, Pesticides | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Feral Hogs and Other Traveling Invasives: How do we reach people?

Posted on September 1, 2011 by rhallberg

In Texas today a new law allowing hunters to fly around in a helicopter and shoot feral hogs goes into effect. The law is aimed at decreasing the population of feral hogs more quickly than ground hunting or trapping is currently doing. In a New York Times OpEd yesterday, writer Mark Essig of Asheville, North Carolina, states that the law misses the real reason why feral hogs are increasing in population: hunters transport them across state lines to start new hunting populations.

Filed under: Invasive species, Urban IPM | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

The Cost of Invasive Species

Posted on August 18, 2011 by rhallberg

Even if you’ve never heard the term ‘invasive species’, chances are they’ve affected you in one way or another. Invasives are any non-native species or organism that cause harm to a non-native environment. For example, you may have heard about the brown marmorated stink bug, introduced accidentally into Pennsylvania from Asia, which has descended on towns along the east coast. With no natural predators, the insects are able to multiply, feeding on a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, hurting farmers and their crops.

Filed under: Invasive species | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Testing mosquito control and education: selecting sites for future studies

Posted on August 18, 2011 by rhallberg

Choosing testing sites for integrated pest management experiments can be vital to their result. In the first step of a series of studies on long-term control strategies for Asian tiger mosquito, a New Jersey research team carefully screens test sites by measuring education levels, socioeconomic status and mosquito populations in neighborhoods in two New Jersey counties.

Filed under: Invasive species, Urban IPM | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

August is Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month

Posted on August 8, 2011 by rhallberg

If you’re a homeowner–whether you rent an apartment or own a house–you can help in the fight against invasive insects and diseases that wreak havoc on forests and croplands.

Filed under: Invasive species | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Success story: University of Florida team facilitates mole cricket management for pastures

Posted on June 24, 2011 by rhallberg

Florida ranks 12th in the nation in cattle production, with sales of about $436 million per year (NASS 2007). One of the threats to the Florida cattle industry is invasive mole crickets. Three invasive species of mole crickets—originally from South America—have been destroying turfgrass and pastures in Florida since the early 1900s.

Filed under: Insects, Invasive species | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Can invasive weeds be predicted based on native habits?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by rhallberg

In a 2011 article in Ecology Letters, Australian researcher Jennifer Firn challenges the accepted theory that non-native invasive species become invasive because they have no predators or environmental checks. Instead, she concludes, a species’ ability to become invasive in their foreign home is based on their aggressiveness in their native habitat.

Filed under: Invasive plants, Invasive species, Weed Control | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Nature’s “Melting Pot”: Invasive Species and Ecosystem Value

Posted on April 6, 2011 by rhallberg

Hugh Raffles’ OpEd piece, entitled “Mother Nature’s Melting Pot” has generated some angst among specialists who work with invasive species. Today’s post offers one response to the article, from the viewpoint of the value of native species.

Filed under: Invasive plants, Invasive species | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

The Coquí: Friend or Foe?

Posted on March 31, 2011 by rhallberg

During a trip to Puerto Rico, we had the opportunity to become acquainted with a tiny tree frog that natives call the coquí. The coquí (Eleutherodactylus coquí) are native to the Caribbean and are part of Puerto Rican culture, history and folklore. Because of increasing development in Puerto Rico, some of the species are being reduced. However, in Hawaii and its surrounding islands, it has been tagged an invasive species.

Filed under: Invasive species | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

« Previous Page — Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 224 other followers