Planetary Ruin

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

Lamprey Barrier will Help Protect Lake Michigan Fishery (Apr 26, 2012)
State and federal agencies recently completed construction of a $1.6 million sea lamprey barrier in Trail Creek, a Lake Michigan tributary in northern Indiana. The barrier will prevent sea lamprey from spawning in the creek, which will reduce the number of these monstrous, blood-sucking invaders in Lake Michigan. The barrier and other efforts to control sea lamprey are paramount to efforts to maintain a healthy Great Lakes fishery. Each sea lamprey can consume up to 40 pounds of fish during its time in the lakes.

* See our Species Profile - Sea Lamprey page for more information and additional resources.

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

New Bills to Confont Asian Carp Threat -- Update to Congressional Bills - 112th Congress.
Provides information for invasive species related Congressional bills, including introduction date, sponsor, summary, full bill text, and bill status.

Congress introduced new bills aimed at combating the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. The legislation directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete within 18 months its study on how to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi watersheds to block the advance of the non-native Asian carp. The voracious fish are within miles of Lake Michigan. Scientists fear that an Asian carp invasion into the Great Lakes could devastate the region’s $7 billion sport and commercial fishery. The legislation updates the Stop Asian Carp Act of 2011, which was introduced last year.

S.2317 - Stop Invasive Species Act of 2012 -- A bill to compel the Secretary of the Army to complete the Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study within 18 months and to focus particular attention on the permanent prevention of the spread of aquatic nuisance species between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basins.

Related Bill -- H.R.4406 - Stop Invasive Species Act

* See our Congressional Bills - 112th Congress and our Species Profile - Asian Carps pages for more information and resources.

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) Survey Guidelines Now Available (May 2012)
In cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine has updated the Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) Survey Guidelines for 2012 (Apr 2012). The main change to the guidelines from last year is the addition of instructions on how to use the lure that has been developed for walnut twig beetle. TCD results from the combined activity of Geosmithia morbida fungus and the walnut twig beetle (WTB, Pityophthorus juglandis).

* See our Thousand Cankers Disease page for more information and additional resources.

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

Ohio State Ask an Expert Now Online (May 4, 2012)
Ohioans who have questions -- on everything from personal finance to agricultural enterprise budgets, from gardening to crop production, from nutrition to producing fruits and vegetables safely -- have a new way to find answers.

* See our Ohio state resource page for more information and additional resources.

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

Biocontrol Agent Tested to Battle Invasive Kudzu Bug (May 3, 2012)
ARS is studying a potential biological control for the kudzu bug, which does feed on the kudzu vine, but also could be a major pest of soybeans, peanuts and other legumes.

* See our In the News section for more information and additional resources.

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

Sizing Up Destruction-Managing for Results at Largest EAB Delimitation Survey in New York (Apr 4, 2012)
Volunteers from 30 agencies from New York and New England were part of the effort to identify the extent of the New York emerald ash borer infestation.

* See our Success Stories for more information and additional resources.

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

Escargot? More like Escar-No! (Apr 19, 2012)
USDA and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have been fighting to stop the spread of the giant African snail. In six, months, more than 40,000 of these snails have been collected. Alert homeowners are the first line of defense in reporting signs of snail infestations. Please do your part in the fight against invasive species -- if you have a giant African snail or see the snails or signs of their presence, call the toll-free helpline at 888-397-1517.

* See our Species Profile - Giant African Snail page for more information and additional resources.

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

Use of Common Pesticide Linked to Bee Colony Collapse (Apr 5, 2012)
The likely culprit in sharp worldwide declines in honeybee colonies (colony collapse disorder) since 2006 is imidacloprid, one of the most widely used pesticides, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health. Pinpointing the cause of the problem is crucial because bees -- beyond producing honey -- are prime pollinators of roughly one-third of the crop species in the U.S. and livestock feed. Massive loss of honeybees could result in billions of dollars in agricultural losses, experts estimate.

* See our In the News section for more information and additional resources.

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

USDA's Chief Veterinary Officer on the Recent BSE Case (aka Mad Cow) (Apr 25, 2012)
On April 24, USDA confirmed the nation's 4th case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in an animal that was sampled for the disease at a rendering facility in central California. This animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food and milk supply, or to human health in the U.S. See BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or Mad Cow Disease) from USDA for more information.

* See our In the News section for more information and additional resources.

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

8th Annual Oregon Invasive Weed Awareness Week - R.2 I. P. - Report and Remove Invasive Plants (May 20-26, 2012)
Doing your part to report & remove invasive plants helps to protect Oregon's agriculture and natural resources! See Oregon Invasive Species Council for more information of how to get involved.

* See our Oregon state resource page for more information and additional resources.