Invasive Species - What's New on NISIC's Site

After three years without confirmed detections, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have declared the northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) eradicated from Washington and the United States.
See also: APHIS in Action: Victory Over the World's Largest Hornet Species (Dec 18, 2024) [usda.gov]

As communities continue to recover from widespread destruction caused by recent hurricanes Helene and Milton, floodwaters from these storms may have accelerated the spread of invasive wildlife and plant species into new areas.

Science conducted by the USGS and the White-nose Syndrome (WNS) Response Team. Our scientists are tracking the fungus as it spreads and characterizing the effects of WNS on hibernating bat populations in North America.

ITP, in collaboration with Pollinator Partnership, is pleased to release The BeeMD at idtools.org. The BeeMD will help beekeepers and others concerned with bees quickly identify honey bee health issues (including colony collapse disorder), through an interactive, visually rich, informative, and easy to use website. This release includes much of the content from the original website first published in 2016. On this new platform, the “visual key” has been completely restructured and streamlined, and the entire website redesigned and expanded, offering additional informational, visual, and supportive content.

The soybean cyst nematode, an invasive parasite that attacks soybean roots – causes over $1 billion of damage each year in the U.S. Harnessing beneficial fungi that target these nematodes could be a solution. Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are stepping up their efforts to control agricultural pests, without the use of chemical pesticides. One promising solution are fungi carried by the pests themselves in a symbiotic relationship.

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.

Feral swine (wild pigs, boars or feral hogs) are a destructive, invasive species that are prevalent in the U.S. and Canada. Federal, State, Provincial, local and territorial agencies are working together to manage the threat and damage caused by feral swine and to mitigate their impact. 

 The Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance was notified by the State of California on the detection and identification of golden mussel (Limnoperna Fortunie) in the Port of Stockton. To minimize the spread of the golden mussel it is recommended that operators continue to ensure that ballast water management systems are operational and used in accordance with the Operational Manual for that system.

Golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei), an invasive, non-native freshwater bivalve, was recently discovered in the Port of Stockton by California Department of Water Resources staff while conducting routine operations. This discovery is the first known occurrence of golden mussels in North America. The species poses a significant immediate threat to the ecological health of the Delta and all waters of the state, water conveyance systems, infrastructure and water quality. Please report organisms observed in California suspected to be golden mussels to CDFW’s Invasive Species Program.

USDA announced the agency is planning to enhance testing and monitoring for H5N1, building on measures taken by USDA since the beginning of the avian influenza outbreak. In partnership with state veterinarians, USDA will implement a tiered strategy to collect milk samples to better assess where H5N1 is present, with the goal to better inform biosecurity and containment measures, as well as to inform state-led efforts to reduce risk to farm workers who may be in contact with animals infected with H5N1. Since this disease was first detected in dairy cattle in March 2024, the USDA and state and federal partners have taken several steps to better understand the virus and work to eliminate it from dairy herds.
See related resource: Avian Influenza