Invasive Species Management

Have you had unexpected seeds show up in the mail? Unknown seeds could be invasive plants, contain invasive insects, or have plant disease causing agents. Here's what the United States Department of Agriculture Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has to say about it.

In the last week, we have highlighted some invasive species that damage and threaten California's natural resources. If you missed any of our posts, click on the species listed below.

Brooms are shrubs which were originally planted in California as ornamentals and for erosion control, but are now considered to be invasive weeds since they are highly competitive. They crowd out native plants and form impenetrable barriers to wildlife.

Nutria are found near rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and wetlands. Their burrowing and feeding on vegetation can cause damage. In addition, they can carry pathogens and parasites.

Small beetles are causing big problems in Southern California. Two closely related species, the polyphagous shot hole borer and the Kuroshio shot hole borer (collectively referred to as invasive shot hole borers), have been attacking more than 60 species of trees.

While some may find them cute, both the Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the Eastern fox squirrel (S. nigeri) are actually invasive species in California. They are two of four species of tree squirrels found throughout the state.

Stink bugs are common pests in gardens but the brown marmorated stink bug, or BMSB, is of particular concern. BMSB (Halyomorpha halys) was first detected in Los Angeles County in 2006 and has since been detected in many other parts of California with large populations in some counties.

Sudden oak death is a disease of oak trees that is caused by an invasive plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. The disease has been found infecting trees in coastal California counties from Monterey to Humboldt and can be spread by moving infested soil and plant material. In California, P.

For a 7th year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will celebrate California Invasive Species Action Week, which this year will be from Saturday, June 6 through Sunday, June 14, 2020.

As summer quickly approaches and we find ourselves getting outside a bit more, remember to take care to protect yourself from mosquitoes.