Tag: Invasive Species

Field Guide Face-Off Part 3: Cooter vs Slider

by Bridget Gerovac
September 25, 2026

Welcome to another installment of Field Guide Face-Off, a series I created to compare some of Florida's most commonly confused species and provide ways to tell them apart. We've spent quite a bit of time talking about and learning to identify ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Identification, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, St. Lucie County, Turtles, UF/IFAS Extension

What is helping some Florida wildfires burn hotter, spread faster?

by Lourdes Mederos
September 23, 2026

What is helping some Florida wildfires burn hotter and spread farther? A University of Florida study suggests cogongrass, an invasive grass that has spread across much of Florida and the Southeast United States, is adding more fuel to the ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Climate, Cogongrass, Florida Wildlifes, Invasive Species, News, Prescribed Fires, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatic Sciences, Wildfires

What is helping some Florida wildfires burn hotter, spread faster?

by Lourdes Mederos
September 23, 2026

Cities worldwide may be the ultimate training grounds for invasive species

by Lourdes Mederos
September 21, 2026

With city growth and urban sprawl, could these changing landscapes be giving invasive species a competitive edge? Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) say the answer may be yes, ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Climate Change, Environment, Invasive Species, Luke Flory, Top News, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida Invasion Science Institute, Urban Sprawl

UF launches initiative to support rapid-response research when invasive pests threaten Florida agriculture

by Lourdes Mederos
September 14, 2026

When a new invasive pest or plant disease appears, scientists have a small window of opportunity to address the threat before it spreads and becomes a much larger problem, potentially devastating Florida's agriculture, nursery industries, natural ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Events, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: Agriculture, Challenge 250, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Nursery, One Night In The Tropics, Rapid-response, Safeguard Ecosystems, Top News

Mosquito species known only from Mexico recorded in U.S. for first time

by Lourdes Mederos
September 8, 2026

While most people may associate mosquitoes with Florida’s swamps, Arizona’s deserts and mountains are also home to a surprising variety of mosquito species. A University of Florida mosquito scientist has documented one of those species ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Florida, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Invasive Species, Lawrence Reeves, Mosquito, Mosquito Diversity, Mosquito-borne Disease, Public Health, Top News

Weekly “What is it?”: Iguanas

by Carrie Stevenson
September 2, 2026

Last week I had the opportunity to join my husband in Mexico while he attended a conference. During some of his downtime, we explored an archaeological area called El Rey Ruins in busy Cancun. It was a quiet spot compared to the popular ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Ecotourism, Invasive Species, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Fighting Florida’s invasive species, UF/IFAS interns are on the front lines gaining hands-on experience

by Lourdes Mederos
August 27, 2026

From tracking pythons in Big Cypress National Preserve to trapping invasive tegus in South Florida, University of Florida students are stepping out of the classroom to gain hands-on experience in some of the state's most vulnerable ecosystems ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Argentine Black And White Tegu, Coservation, Ecosystems, Everglades National Park, Invasive Species, Pythons, Wildlife

Florida Land Steward Update, August 21, 2026

by Chris Demers
August 21, 2026

FALL IS A GOOD TIME TO TREAT THAT COGONGRASS If dealing with a patch of cogongrass is on your to-do list, it’s time to get ready for that treatment. The best time to treat cogongrass is during the fall months, which of course can ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Cogongrass, Drought, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Landowner Academy, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Landowner Assistance, Loblolly Pine, Ranchers, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Wild Turkey

Reporting and sampling sugarcane for pasture mealybug

by Chris Vivian
August 20, 2026

Authored by: Niguss Hailegnaw, UF/IFAS Assistant Professor of Crop Nutrient Management at the Everglades Research and Education Center Marcelo Wallau, UF/IFAS Forage Extension Specialist Help UF/IFAS identify factors associated ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease
Tags: Entomology And Nematology, Everglades Agricultural Area, Invasive Species, Pasture Mealybug, Sampling, Sugar Cane

Subscribe For More Great Content