South Carolina

Recent sightings of a large, non-native land crab along the South Atlantic coast, including in coastal Georgia, are a cause for concern, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Blue land crabs are native from Brazil to south Florida and can be as large as 5-6 inches. Sightings recently have been reported well north of the crabs’ native range, including the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Multiple reports have been made to Georgia WRD offices.

The public is encouraged to take photos and report sightings of blue land crabs at GeorgiaWildlife.com/ANS. Questions about blue land crabs? Contact a local Georgia WRD office (details at GeorgiaWildlife.com/about/contact#fish).

South Carolina public health and livestock officials have recently identified a large population of Asian longhorned ticks infesting a pasture at a cattle farm in York County. This invasive species of tick is not commonly found in the United States, and bites from these ticks have caused illnesses in people, animals and livestock in other countries. As of June 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports Asian longhorned ticks were first identified in the United States in 2010 and have since been found in 17 states. In South Carolina, a small number of these ticks were identified in 2020 on shelter dogs in Lancaster and Pickens counties.

To help state officials learn more about the prevalence of Asian longhorned ticks in South Carolina, residents are asked to carefully submit ticks suspected to be Asian longhorned ticks for confirmatory identification. This surveillance will help determine tick species presence, distribution, seasonality, and potential tick-borne disease risks.

South Carolina will become only the second state in the United States to ban the nursery sale of Bradford pear trees and any other pear trees grown on the commonly used Pyrus calleryana rootstock. The ban on sales will begin Oct. 1, 2024, which is the annual nursery licensing renewal date in South Carolina. Ohio will become the first state on Jan. 1, 2023, after passing regulations banning the sale of the species in 2018 with a 5-year grandfathering period. Additional information about the ban’s impact on homeowners can be found by visiting the Clemson University Home & Garden Information Center.

The additions of Pyrus calleryana — or Callery pear — along with three species of Elaeagnus to the State Plant Pest List met the approval of state agency representatives and the director of Clemson’s Regulatory and Public Service Programs. The clock is now ticking on a grandfathering period of a little more than 3 years for the nursery industry to comply with the new regulations by ceasing sale of these plant species.