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The Citizen Carp Control is a national public awareness campaign working to educate, empower, and advocate for enhanced control and removal of invasive carps.

This portal shares information about how ARS research is combating the disease that is devastating the citrus industry and provides information for the general public, as well as points of contact for those seeking more specialized answers.

Huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening, poses the most serious threat that the Florida citrus industry has ever faced. ARS scientists across the country are actively engaged in research with university and industry partners on all aspects of this disease problem, including the host, pathogen, and insect vector. Our goal is to overcome citrus greening and ensure the U.S. citrus industry can provide consumers with tasty, high quality citrus fruits for years to come. 

This short course is an asynchronous, professional, online short course that was created to provide you with knowledge about the science, application, and regulation of classical weed biological control. This class was developed by professionals with real world experience managing invasive plants.
Note: Course is free thanks to funding from the USDA, Forest Service.

The Clemson University Department of Plant Industry destroyed the first secondary nests of the yellow-legged hornet this month in South Carolina near Hilton Head Island. Yellow-legged hornets were also detected in November 2023 in a trap in South Carolina. 

Despite the devastating impact of the invasive emerald ash borer on forests in the eastern and midwestern parts of the United States, climate change will have a much larger and widespread impact on these landscapes by the year 2100, according to researchers.

Due to the impact of climate change, plant pests that ravage economically important crops are becoming more destructive and posing an increasing threat to food security and the environment, finds a scientific review released this week. The Scientific Review on the Impact of Climate Change on Plant Pests - A global challenge to prevent and mitigate plant pest risks in agriculture, forestry and ecosystems was prepared under the auspices of the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention and is one of the key initiatives of the International Year of Plant Health, which is coming to an end this month. "The key findings of this review should alert all of us on how climate change may affect how infectious, distributed and severe pests can become around the world," said the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu. "The review clearly shows that the impact of climate change is one of the greatest challenges the plant health community is facing," added Qu.

A new invasive species coalition is celebrating significant milestones in preventing expansion of invasive species after the first anniversary of an important agreement. The North American Invasive Species Management Association, Wildlife Forever, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to implement on-the-ground strategies to engage the American public and help prevent the spread of invasive species under the new agreement.

To prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species, and others are making information available to boat haulers, auctioneers, marinas, manufacturers, and brokers to make it easy to comply with state, provincial and federal laws, prevent costly delays in transporting or selling boats, and help reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species.

In December 2021, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) initiated a program to prevent delays during the transport of watercraft destined for the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. The program, Call Before You Haul, provides a toll-free number (1-844-311-4873) boat transporters can call prior to transporting watercraft from outside the Pacific Northwest to one of the aforementioned states. The program was piloted in 10 states.

The Call Before You Haul 1.0 program was initiated in late 2022 prevent the introduction and establishment of quagga and zebra mussels in the Columbia River Basin states and prevent the movement of aquatic invasive species via trailered watercraft. Call Before You Haul 1.0 consisted of creating a 24-7 toll-free number for boat transporters and working directly with state agencies that permit interstate oversize/overweight loads, including watercraft, to raise boat transporter awareness about trailered watercraft as a vector for aquatic invasive species. There remains a significant number of infested watercraft coming from the Great Lakes regions of the United States and Canada to western states.

Call Before You Haul 2.0 expanding in February 2024, is an effort to work collaboratively with Great Lakes region entities to reduce interstate transport of aquatic invasive species — for the benefit of all states and provinces. 
See also: Register for kickoff Call Before You Haul 2.0 webinar on February 22, 10-11 am PST.

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and the Georgia Department of Agriculture announced the discovery and eradication of three additional Yellow-legged hornets’ nests in the area near Savannah, Ga. In addition to these new eradications, the Department is announcing a new, biweekly newsletter, the Yellow-Legged Ledger, to provide the public with important updates on our efforts to prevent the establishment of this invasive pest.

The annual Lionfish Challenge is an incentive program that rewards harvesters for their lionfish removals. With a tiered system, everybody can be a winner. The participant who harvests the most lionfish will be crowned the Lionfish King/Queen. The Challenge is open now and will run through November 1. You can register for the 2020 Lionfish Challenge and find more information at FWCReefRangers.com/Lionfish-Challenge. Questions regarding the challenge can be sent to Lionfish@MyFWC.com.

The U.S. Geological Survey has released a comprehensive synthesis of Burmese python science, showcasing results from decades of USGS-funded research on python biology and potential control tools. The giant constrictor now represents one of the most challenging invasive species management issues worldwide.

Scientists from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) are reporting that Beech Leaf Disease (BLD) has increased dramatically in both severity and distribution in 2022 compared to 2021. First detected in lower Fairfield County in 2019, BLD is now widespread on American beech (Fagus grandifolia) throughout all eight Connecticut counties, with symptoms most severe in Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London Counties. Given that BLD is now widely established throughout Connecticut, reports of BLD to CAES and DEEP are no longer requested.

Classical biological control, which reunites invasive insects or plants that have spread in new, invaded areas with their natural enemies, is the only means of reducing permanently and over large areas the harm such invaders cause. Short of eradication, which is rarely practical once an invader has spread widely, this method is the only solution that does not depend on endless control activities and their associated costs. The purpose of this book is to highlight the value that programs of classical insect and weed control have provided to the United States over roughly the last 40 years (1985–2022).
See also: FHAAST Publications for more resources.

Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven) is a rapidly growing invasive tree species introduced to the United States nearly 200 years ago. Today, this species is a common invader in many forests across the nation. Scientists with the Northern Research Station have identified a unique biological control measure for managing Ailanthus—Verticillium nonalfalfae, a native soil-borne fungus. Check out this latest issue of Rooted in Research that explores how Verticillium can reduce Ailanthus populations.

Climate change is having an important influence on invasive species. The increase in temperatures, rainfall, humidity and drought can facilitate their spread and establishment, creating new opportunities for them to become invasive. For additional information, see the following CABI resources:

• Climate Change and Biodiversity
• CABI Working Paper: Climate Change and Invasive Alien Species (Nov 2010)
• Invasive Species and Global Climate Change (2022, 2nd Edition) (requires login 🔒)

Researchers have been working on a solution to fight citrus greening disease and may have found one in the unique antibodies found in camels, llamas, and alpacas.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announces additional zebra mussel veligers found in the Colorado River and Government Highline Canal after increased testing. With these additional detections, both the Highline Government Canal and the Colorado River meet the criteria for being considered “positive” for zebra mussels.
See also: Colorado Parks and Wildlife announces discovery of zebra mussels in the Colorado River and the Government Highline Canal (July 16, 2024), nearly two years after the invasive species was first detected in the state. 

Louisiana is home to some of the most destructive invasive species found in the United States. The LSU AgCenter has long worked to monitor and manage these non-native insects, weeds and wildlife. To better understand and control invasive species, the LSU AgCenter is developing a Center of Research Excellence for the Study of Invasive Species. The Louisiana Board of Regents approved the creation of the center on Sept. 20.

Early detection is critical to the eradication and management of invasive species, and curious members of the public play a key role by sharing observations on platforms such as iNaturalist. Integrating these sightings from a bug-curious public into ongoing biosecurity surveillance is an increasingly valuable approach for invasive species management.

ARS researchers use biocontrol methods to manage fire ant populations.