invasive species

Washington captures record 2.16 million invasive green crabs in 2025-26; first detected in 2016, the species threatens marine life despite $8 million in funding, with no populations eradicated

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com4 days ago06 mins

Washington state captured a record 2.16 million invasive European green crabs in fiscal year 2025-26, but established populations remain. (Photo: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) Washington state removed more than 2.16 million invasive European green crabs from its marine waters during the 2026 fiscal year, marking a major effort to control a species threatening…

In 1916, the US began releasing Asian lady beetles to control aphids and scale insects; decades later Harmonia axyridis became invasive and was linked to declines of native ladybirds

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com2 weeks ago013 mins

The multicoloured Asian lady beetle was introduced to the United States with a clear purpose. Starting as early as 1916, agricultural officials released the insect, scientifically known as Harmonia axyridis, in an effort to control aphids, scale insects and other crop pests without relying as heavily on chemical insecticides. It was an appealing form of…

Kudzu was brought to America as a garden plant; scientists now warn its tangled vines can become wildfire fuel | World News

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com2 months ago017 mins

Kudzu arrived in the United States as an ornamental vine more than a century ago, first displayed at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876 before being promoted for shade, livestock forage and erosion control. What began as a useful garden and agricultural plant eventually spread far beyond where it was intended, covering forests, roadsides and…

In 1962, five pet mute swans escaped in Maryland; within four decades their descendants neared 4,000 and were eating 10.5 million pounds of Chesapeake Bay grasses a year

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com2 months ago08 mins

The exotic mute swan has increased its population size in Chesapeake Bay to approximately 4,500 since 1962. In 1962, five mute swans escaped from an estate in Talbot County, Maryland. More than four decades later, their descendants had grown to nearly 4,000 in the Chesapeake Bay region. As their numbers rose across the Chesapeake Bay…

In the 1930s, Florida introduced rhesus macaques to boost tourism; today the invasive monkeys carry a potentially fatal virus and are considered a public-health concern

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com2 months ago012 mins

Nonhuman primates (NHPs) can harbour multiple zoonotic pathogens owing to their close phylogenetic relationship and frequent interactions with humans. They can also be extremely successful ecological invaders. Within the United States, fewer than or equal to NHP species have been introduced and of them, the rhesus macaque has successfully established populations in Florida and Puerto…

Spanish explorers brought pigs to America for food in the 1500s; today, millions of feral swine roam at least 35 US states

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com2 months ago010 mins

When Spanish explorers brought pigs to what is now the southeastern United States in the 1500s, the animals were intended as a practical source of food rather than a threat to native ecosystems. Centuries of escapes, free-ranging livestock and later introductions of Eurasian wild boar changed that. According to the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal…

Bring a python, get a pizza: A Florida restaurant is giving away free ‘python pizza’ if you bring a Burmese python caught in the Everglades | World News

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com3 months ago07 mins

A Florida restaurant has launched one of the country’s most unusual food promotions, offering customers a free ‘python pizza’ if they bring in an invasive Burmese python captured during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge. The giveaway, introduced by Wildman’s Pizza in Everglades City, is designed to support efforts to remove the destructive snakes from the…

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Saroj Mhr