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Invasive Crazy Ants Found in Central Texas Some new "crazies" have recently invaded Central Texas. Raspberry crazy ants have now invaded Travis County, according to an entomologist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. The ants are small and black with long legs and antennae, and get their name from their erratic movements. The confirmed crazy ant reports in Travis County have been from the northwestern part of the county, near where Travis and Burnet counties meet. Once crazy ants find their way into a home it is easy for them to multiply and spread to different areas, especially into bathrooms, kitchens and pantries. If you think you have found a new location of crazy ants, please collect 6-12 specimens and contact Mike Quinn. - Read More |
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Invasive Giant Tiger Shrimp Found on Texas Coast There is a new invasive species lurking in the Gulf of Mexico that could have a negative impact on Coastal Bend fisheries. The black tiger shrimp, marketed by seafood markets as tiger prawns, eats native shrimp and recently reappeared as a concern among state biologists and seafood industry officials. The highly aggressive giant shrimp, which can be a foot long and weigh nearly a pound, can carry diseases that native brown, white and pink shrimp may not have the immune system to fight and could potentially outcompete native species for food and territory. – Read More |
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Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Found in Texas Coastal Bend A species of stink bugs has made its first Texas appearance in the Coastal Bend. The brown marmorated stink bug, a native of Asia, is typically found up and down the East Coast, but in late October a pest control company in Corpus Christi received a call about an RV overloaded with bugs. Entomologist John Rourke Jr. examined the RV, and identified the insects as the marmorated stink bug. "Before I walked in the RV, they were around the door, in cracks and crevices, a bathroom cabinet and the glove compartment." Although some probably escaped, Rourke said even if the insects do find a home in the Coastal Bend, they pose no threat to people except being a nuisance. – Read More |
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New Invasive Species Invading the U.S. and Texas There is a new invasive pest seen invading gardens and wildlands across the U.S., and has recently been seen as far south as Texas. It is most recognizable in the winter months and can be easily eradicated using common garden tools. Watch this education video from Utah State University to learn how to spot it if it shows up in your garden and learn techniques used to slow its spread. |
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Hydrilla Control Efforts in Austin With help from Texas Parks and Wildlife, the City of Austin has recently released several thousand sterile grass carp into Lake Austin in an effort to slow the spread of Hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant that has haunted lake Austin for many years. Watch this new video released by the city of Austin to learn more. |
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Commander Ben's "An Invasive Carol" This Christmas Carol tale begins on Christmas Eve with Scrooge, a man with a stingy heart, a disdain of native plants, and a phobia of dirty feet. His former business partner, Jacob Marley warns Scrooge of visits by three spirits. Overnight, the ghosts lead Scrooge through his innocent past, misguided present, and possible dire future overrun by invasive species. They help to transform him into a man of joy and compassion, both with the family of his impoverished clerk, Bob Cratchit, and his diverse ecosystem. - Watch Video |
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National Forest System Creates Invasive Species Directive The Forest Service has developed an internal directive to the Forest Service Manual specifically for invasive species management. This directive will provide foundational comprehensive guidance for the management of invasive species on aquatic and terrestrial areas of the National Forest System. It articulates broad objectives, policies, responsibilities, and definitions for Forest Service employees and partners to more effectively communicate invasive species management requirements at the local, regional, and national levels. - Read More |
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More News 2012 Tamarisk Symposium February 15 – 17, Two Rivers Convention Center, Grand Junction, CO - Learn More APHIS's 2011 Invasive Species News in a Nutshell This newsletter contains news and information on invasive species that have occurred in 2011. - Learn More New Citrus Resource Citrus Resource was designed to provide easy access to digital, multi-media, identification tools for pests, diseases and host material during citrus pest and disease surveys by industry and government agency personnel. - Learn More 2012 USDA Grant and Partnership Workbook This workbook contains basic information on programs in USDA that could be used to fund and support invasive species related projects. - Learn More Save the Date - National Invasive Species Awareness Week February 26 - March 3, Washington DC A week of activities, briefings, workshops and events focused on strategizing solutions to address invasive species prevention, detection, monitoring, control, and management issues at local, state, tribal, regional, national and international scales. - Learn More If you would like your invasive species event or news listed in the next iWire, please send the details to iwire@texasinvasives.org. |
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A Few Changes to the Datasheet Please take note of the following changes to the Invaders of Texas datasheet. First you will notice that the fields Collector Name and Satellite have been removed. Those were relics from the old system and are no longer needed. You will also see a new field, Est. Error. Most GPS receivers have a slight error and display this error near the latitude and longitude coordinates. After discussions with resource managers and scientists we came to the conclusion that knowing the GPS error would be valuable information for those using the data. |
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Reserve Your Invasive Pest Workshops The Invaders of Texas program will be conducting 10 invasive pest identification workshops in early 2012. The workshops will train citizen scientists to identify and report invasive pests of regulatory concern, such as Emerald Ash Borer. Satellites will have two options: a half-day workshop focusing on invasive pests, or a full-day workshop consisting of a half-day on invasive pests and the other half being a refresher course for the Invaders of Texas program. We are now taking workshop request for these new workshops. Please contact Travis Gallo for more information and to schedule a workshop. |
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Citizen Science Workshops Rare Plant Monitoring & Invasive Species Workshops March 23-24, 2012, Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce The Invaders of Texas has teamed up with the National Forest Foundation and the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas to offer a new kind of citizen science workshop, expanding on the Invaders of Texas model by adding a rare plant monitoring component. Day 1 will be in the classroom and Day 2 will be in the field at the Angelina National Forest. Please contact Minnette Marr for more information or to register for the workshop. Invasive Pest Sentinel Network Workshops 10 Workshops Coming in 2012 These workshops will supplement the Invaders of Texas program by training citizen scientists to identify and report invasive pests of regulatory concern while out looking for invasive plants. Schedule your 2012 workshop, today. Invaders of Texas Workshops 10 Workshops Coming in 2012 The Invaders of Texas workshops are the traditional workshops training citizen scientists to report and detect invasive plants in their area. We have funding for 10 workshops in 2012, so schedule your workshop, today. For more information or to request a workshop, please visit our Workshop Page. |
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