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In an effort to monitor invasive northern snakeheads in the Chesapeake Bay and Blackwater River, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announces a new tagging program in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Both agencies are placing yellow or blue tags on up to 500 northern snakeheads. Each tagged northern snakehead caught and harvested from now until 2024 could be rewarded with a gift card of $10 or $200 depending on the tag.

In order to qualify, the harvester must report the tag number to USFWS at 800-448-8322, and is asked to take a picture of their harvested and tagged northern snakehead. Only harvested northern snakeheads with reported tags will qualify for gift cards.

On Aug. 9, 2011, the department in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Penn State Cooperative Extension confirmed the presence of Thousand Cankers Disease in black walnut trees in Bucks County. Since this pest complex cannot be eradicated in Pennsylvania, and since black walnut is of high value to the forest products industry and to forest and urban ecologies, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is joining with state and federal agencies and Penn State Cooperative Extension to slow the spread of TCD in the state through monitoring and quarantine. For more information or to report a possible case of Thousand Cankers Disease on walnut please contact your Pennsylvania local county cooperative extension office or contact the Invasive Species Hotline at 1-866-253-7189 or Badbug@pa.gov.

See also: Forest Health - Diseases for more resources

Thousand cankers disease is a fungal disease of walnuts (Juglans spp.) that is carried from tree to tree by a small bark beetle called the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis). It has killed countless ornamental black walnut trees in the western U.S. and was found for the first time in the eastern U.S. in 2010. The first recorded incident of thousand cankers disease in North Carolina (Haywood County) was confirmed in late fall, 2012. Please report the location and descriptions of potentially positive trees to 1-800-206-9333 or newpest@ncagr.gov.

Thousands of invasive fish have been removed from the Chesapeake Bay watershed at the Conowingo Dam earlier this year and donated to local food banks through a continuing partnership between Maryland Department of Natural Resources and others. During the 2024 season, which ran from March to June, more than 18,000 pounds of invasive fish (blue catfish, flathead catfish, and northern snakehead) were removed from Maryland waters.

See also: Pest Alerts - Vegetable Pests for more fact sheets

The Colorado Division of Wildlife is monitoring the state's waters for the introduction of an aggressive invasive species, the rusty crayfish. Rusty crayfish were found for the first time in Colorado during routine sampling operations in 2009 in the Yampa River drainage between Steamboat Springs and the town of Yampa. Because of their larger size and more aggressive nature, rusty crayfish can impact fish populations by consuming small fish and fish eggs, and negatively impact fish and spread unwanted aquatic plants by aggressively harvesting underwater plant beds. Learn more how to identify the rusty crayfish, how to stop the spread and how to report sightings.

Tribal, state and local governments will join forces at Lake Roosevelt this week to combat the spread of northern pike, recently recorded just two dams away from critical Columbia River salmon habitat. “We are at a critical moment in time where northern pike have not spread into salmon habitat,” said Kelly Susewind, director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “If northern pike move downstream, the State of Washington will consider this an environmental emergency. We need to work together to stop northern pike.”

See also: Noxious Weeds - Publications and Surveys for more resources

Michigan’s invasive species watch list was recently updated to include two new species and remove another. Mountain pine beetle, a deadly threat to pine trees, and water-primrose, a fast-spreading aquatic plant, have been added to the watch list due to threats they pose to native ecosystems and industry. European frog-bit, originally listed in 2011, has been moved off the list of species of immediate concern and is now considered established in the state.

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) and houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale L.) have been added to the state noxious weed list. Palmer amaranth is an aggressive pigweed species similar in appearance to waterhemp and was first found in the state last year. It has now been found in five counties. Houndstongue, which does not spread aggressively like Palmer amaranth, has been found in North Dakota since at least 1911 but infestations have tripled since 2008. It is now found in at least 25 counties. The public is urged to work with local weed officers, extension agents and other experts to identify and report suspect plants. More information on these and other noxious and invasive weeds is available at Noxious Weeds.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is announcing that two exotic species of Asian and Eurasian ticks have been detected for the first time on Block Island. It was confirmed by DNA and morphological characteristics that they are ticks not previously found in Rhode Island. Dr. Danielle M. Tufts identified the tick species Haemaphysalis longicornis and Haemaphysalis punctata when studying ticks on Block Island this summer.

Haemaphysalis longicornis, also called the Asian longhorned tick, was first detected in the United States in 2017 in New Jersey. Haemaphysalis punctata is native to Europe and has not been previously detected in a natural setting in North America. H. punctata is sometimes known as the "red sheep tick" in its native range. The center of its distribution is the southern half of Europe, including England, and there are some established populations along North African coastal areas. The finding on Block Island is notable because this tick is not known to exist outside of its home range.

On May 29, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) reported the first confirmed sighting of an Asian giant hornet in Washington this year. On May 27, a resident near Custer, Wash. found the dead specimen while walking on a roadway. The resident submitted a photo and report using WSDA's online Hornet Watch Report Form. On May 28, WSDA entomologists concluded that the photo appeared to show an Asian giant hornet. The hornet was detected near the location of a suspected Asian giant hornet bee kill in 2019. WSDA had already planned trapping in the area and will maintain that plan to try to find any colony that may be there. The first find of the year in the United States comes just days after the British Columbian government confirmed their first detection of the year in Canada near Langley, B.C. That specimen was initially reported to authorities on May 15. Asian giant hornet is the world's largest hornet and a predator of honey bees and other insects. A small group of Asian giant hornets can kill an entire honey bee hive in a matter of hours. Visit agr.wa.gov/hornets to learn more about Asian giant hornets and the state's trapping and eradication project.