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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations discovered 90 giant African land snails in a traveler’s luggage at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 30, 2024. The passenger had arrived from Ghana. The snails were seized and were “humanely euthanized,” the CBP says. The release says euthanizing the snails was necessary “to ensure they did not enter the ecosystem and cause havoc to U.S. agriculture.” 

A recent moth interception by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) is now considered to be the first encounter of the species since 1912.

Agriculture specialists play a vital role at our nation’s ports of entry by preventing the introduction of harmful exotic plant pests and foreign animal diseases into the United States. Learn more about how CBP agriculture specialists work in Protecting Agriculture.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is proposing changes to regulations regarding harmful or potentially harmful fish, shellfish and aquatic plants. The proposed changes significantly reorganize the existing rules to enhance accessibility, meet the changing needs of the regulated community, and address current and potential future threats posed by these exotic species. The proposed rules will be published in the Texas Register no later than Friday, Oct. 2. At that time, comments on the changes can be provided on the TPWD public comment page until Monday, Nov. 9. The TPW Commission will take public comment on the proposed changes at their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 10 in Austin. Comments on the proposed changes also can be submitted to Ken Kurzawski at (512) 389-4591, email: ken.kurzawski@tpwd.texas.gov.

National park philanthropy doesn't stop when it comes to trail and campground maintenance, science and research, or bringing inner-city youth to a park. Each year nearly $1.5 million from the National Park Foundation goes towards battling invasive species across the system.

ARS scientists in Nevada, studied ways to control cheatgrass and restore rangelands to a healthy mix of plants, which in turn reduces wildfire threats, supports wildlife, and increases sustainable grazing resources.

See also: Research and Extension - Pests Publications for more resources

A study conducted by Maryland Department of Natural Resources Biologist Dr. Joseph Love illuminates one of the biological factors that could be contributing to Chesapeake Channa’s efficient spread through Maryland’s waters. The study, published in the July 2024 edition of Northeastern Naturalist, found that the majority of female Chesapeake Channa, also known as northern snakehead, collected from the upper Chesapeake Bay carried eggs in two distinct sizes, suggesting those fish could spawn twice a year.

See also: Protecting Trees from Chestnut Blight and Ground Covers, Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Ornamentals Fact Sheets for more resources

See also: Texas Forestry Association's "Dirty Dozen" (scroll to view) for more fact sheets

See also: Publications - Invasive Plants for more resources

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is one of the worst invasive plants in the South. It dominates the shrub layer and often becomes the only shrub underneath trees, especially in streamside areas. But insects and spiders living in fallen leaves and leaf litter were not affected by a privet invasion in Georgia, as a recent study shows.

See also: Invasive Exotic Plants for more publications

Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) is a nonnative, invasive tree whose decaying leaf litter alters water quality and the microbial community in the wetland habitats. This negatively impacts the lifecycle of semi-aquatic species like frogs.

Choices is an online peer-reviewed magazine published by the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) for readers interested in the policy and management of agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, rural communities, and the environment

Following more than two years of consumer research and planning, the State of Illinois unveiled "Copi," the new name for Asian carp, which is a play on “copious” – as that’s exactly what these fish are. By one estimate, 20 million to 50 million pounds of Copi could be harvested from the Illinois River alone each year, with hundreds of millions more in waterways from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast. The new name and brand are designed to address public misconceptions about this delicious top-feeding fish, which is overrunning Midwest waterways.

Copi are mild, clean-tasting fish with heart-healthy omega-3s and very low levels of mercury. Increased consumption will help to stop them from decimating other fish populations in the Great Lakes and restore an ecological balance to waterways down stream.