Special Guest Blogger – Lorraine Ketzler, Biological Science Technician with US Fish and Wildlife Service There have been several fungal invaders entering and spreading within the US in recent years and I’d like to draw attention to four… Read More
Swamp Redbay Tree infected with Laurel Wilt. Photo credit: Sheila Dunning Many invasive plants and insects are introduced in packing materials, including 12 species of ambrosia beetles, which embed themselves in wood used as crates and pallets. While… Read More
Beach Vitex Blossom. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor Research shows that the most effective time to deal with an invasive species, both in terms of controlling or eradicating the species and money spent to do so, is early on……. Read More
Kudzu bugs on soybeans. Photo credit: Jennifer Bearden A few years ago, Florida is extended a warm welcome to a new pest – The Kudzu Bug! The kudzu bug was first documented in the US in 2009 in… Read More
Bamboo shoots can grow as tall as 70 feet. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson Standing in the midst of a stand of bamboo, it’s easy to feel dwarfed. Smooth and sturdy, the hollow, sectioned woody shoots of this fascinating… Read More
Guest Blogger – Dr. Steve A. Johnson, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida Cuban Treefrog. Photo credit: Steve Johnson The National Invasive Species Council defines an invasive species as one… Read More
Fruits on HLB infected trees ripen prematurely, are small, and often drop from tree. Photo credit: Erik Lovestrand If we look at the big picture when it comes to invasive species, some of the smallest organisms on the… Read More
Coral Ardisia (Ardisia crenata) photo courtesy of Les Harrison Coral ardisia is also known as coral berry, spice berry, and scratchthroat. It was introduced into Florida in the early 1900’s for ornamental purposes. In the ensuing years… Read More
Fences make good neighbors except when your neighbor is a Chinese tallow or popcorn tree. Seed is easily spread across property borders. Birds, storm-water, and vehicles are just few ways seeds move away from large trees. Photo by… Read More
This yard on Pensacola Beach has become over run by vitex. Photo courtesy of Rick O’Connor. In 2013 we began writing about a potential invasive plant in the Florida panhandle called Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia). The first record… Read More
