Browse Invasive Species Stories - Page 3

Over the last few weeks, many Georgians have focused their attention on the media-hyped coverage of the kissing bug. Much of the sensationalism and worry surrounding this insect boogieman is unwarranted, according to University of Georgia entomologists.

A tiny fly is having a huge impact on American fruit farmers. Known as spotted wing drosophila, the insect is costing famers more than $700 million a year in lost produce and prevention costs.

If you’ve driven down the road alongside an overgrown fence or forested area in north Georgia lately, you were likely overwhelmed with a combination of fragrance from wild Japanese honeysuckle and Chinese privet. Many people assume they are native because they are so common, but neither one belongs on this continent. Both originated in Asia and were introduced to North America in the 1800s for ornamental uses in landscaping.

The University of Georgia’s newest entomologist is eyeing a different approach to studying insects in multiple agricultural crops. Instead of focusing on how to eliminate pests that reduce yield and negatively impact profits, UGA entomologist Jason Schmidt is looking to improve agricultural management systems to preserve helpful insects.

A new app, developed for smartphones and tablets by researchers and Extension personnel with University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, allows farmers and scouts to save time and money by finding and using the most effective treatments available for stink bugs.

South Georgia foresters and landowners connected to the $600 million per year forestry industry will now receive better guidance from University of Georgia Extension agents thanks to a recently held UGA forestry and fisheries management training course.

Hulking above their neighbors in the Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia’s century-old hemlocks are giants. But the relatively scarce, trees are quickly being felled by the tiniest of insects — the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid.

The University of Georgia Bug Dawgs of the UGA Entomology Department will host the 29th Annual Insect Zoo Open House on Friday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in front of the Miller Plant Science Building on the campus in Athens.

When we think of invasive species we usually think of insects, plants and animals that have been shipped to Georgia from another part of the world, but it’s a two-way street. Georgia’s native plants and insects can be just as devastating overseas if they take root in a foreign ecosystem

With mushroom caps that can be as large as trashcan lids, the gigantic fungus Macrocybe titans looks like something from outer space, but it may be popping up soon in a lawn near you.