Author Topic: Exotic Pests (Read 3423 times)

Corley5 · « **on:** December 01, 2002, 07:20:54 pm »

Here in North America we've had to deal with exotics that have and are really screwing things up. The chestnut blight, Dutch Elm Disease, Asian Long-horned beetle, emerald ash borer, gypsy moth are some tree related ones that come to mind. Then there's zebra mussels, Eurasian millfoil, nasty fish that can walk from pond to pond, starlings, purple loosestrife etc. So the question is... Have we given as good as we've gotten? Have we inadvertently, we wouldn't have done it on purpose I hope, sent anything/things overseas that are now causing them problems?

CHARLIE · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2002, 07:50:42 pm »

Down in Miami there are huge frogs from South America that has poisonous skin that'll kill a dog if one trys to eat the frog.

Don'T forget Dandelions! The settlers brought the DanG things from Europe 'cause they liked to eat the greens! Grrrrrrrrr.

L. Wakefield · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2002, 07:57:42 pm »

You have GOT to be kidding!! Dandelions are an import? Who knew?? Ah well, there is always the comfort of dandelion wine. When well made it is comforting indeed..bottled sunshine..lw

Tom · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2002, 08:12:02 pm »

yeah and the white catfish(walking catfish) has been loose in south Florida for years with fears that it will go north.The imports for pets are causing a lot of the problem. How about the Formosan (drywood) termite. It came into the USA in dunnage.The BeeKeepers are fighting for their lives. because the mites and now beetles are decimating the honeybee population. Huge pythons are living under houses in Miami. Big Lizards are loose in the everglades. Tropical fish from South America are loose in the canals. The Mediteranean Fruit Fly periodically threatens the existance of citrus. That's not to mention the influx of immigrant people that have changed the demographics.

Read about the Eucalyptus and Water Hyacinths for a horror story.

Noble_Ma · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2002, 08:26:51 pm »

I thought I read something about a plant/vine that was planted in the Southern states to feed livestock? It became a real pest and started to grow into the trees and choke them out? I don't think it was an urban legend? No clue what the name was or where it came from? Maybe someone else can help out? Senior moment here

CHARLIE · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2002, 08:36:29 pm »

Tom, you forgot to mention the African killer bees that have made there way to the U.S. from South America....and....the fire ants! They are everywhere down south now.

Noble_Ma, that ain't no urban legend. Go down to Georgia and look at all the Kudzu vine. It literally covers trees. It's very hard to kill and has a huge root system. I think they were brought to the U.S. to help control erosion along highways.

Tom · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2002, 08:49:25 pm »

Kudzu was also to have been for fodder for cattle but it grows so fast that nothing can keep up with it. It's reported to grow 3 feet per day and cross a highway inside of a week.

Your right Charlie, Fire Ants have been a problem that has never found a control. Aficanized bees were created in South America and occassionally come int ports in Florida. The main influx has come from their own migration path through Central America, Mexico and into Texas.

Did you know that those white cattle birds with the brown crests that you see in Florida in almost every cow pasture and land clearing site wasn't here before 1930? It is supposed that they flew over from africa to South America sometime around the first of the century and thrive in areas of land clearing..

CHARLIE · « **Reply #7 on:** December 01, 2002, 08:53:13 pm »

And AIDS and the Nile Virus!

Jeff · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2002, 02:21:05 am »

I'm interested in Greg's initial question, but have enver heard of any cases. Have we ever got even by sending something somewhere else that came from here that caused problems?

Noble_Ma · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2002, 05:17:36 am »

Thanks for filling in the gaps guys. I read that years ago and thought they might have found something to combat it by now. The West Nile virus has started to make a showing up here too. I think Japanese beetles were brought here too? They sure are pests in my area. Not sure about the gypsy moths? In the bad years they will completely strip oaks, maples and even pines of their leaves and needles!

swampwhiteoak · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2002, 07:21:52 am »

Where's KiwiCharlie? I've heard cats and bunnies are a big problem in Australia, DonT know if that holds true for New Zealand as well.

What about Black locust in Europe? I know I've seen it a lot when I was over there, I wonder if they consider it an invasive?

I sure do hope we've given something to the Chinese, seems like they love to give us there favorite insects and diseases.

north_bugtussel · « **Reply #11 on:** December 02, 2002, 08:12:38 am »

Swamp, I don't think it would matter what we gave them, they would find a way to mass produce it and market it back to us

Tom · « **Reply #12 on:** December 02, 2002, 08:18:58 am »

I'd like to see some wild stuff immigrate to the Mid-east (selectively perhaps). A bout of seven years of pestulance might slow some of the radicals down. What's the next number he likes to assign, forty years? Well maybe that would be to harsh. Besides I wouldn't be able to see how it turns out.

Bibbyman · « **Reply #13 on:** December 02, 2002, 12:24:03 pm »

I think the New World gave the Old World things like corn, coca, tobacco, potato(?), quinine, and a bunch of other things.

I also heard that VD was a New World disease but I think now they found out it was in pre-Columbus Old World too so we don't know who got screwed here - maybe everyone.

How about feral horses, donkeys, hogs, etc. that we now protect and spend tax money to keep?

Ron Wenrich · « **Reply #14 on:** December 02, 2002, 01:05:03 pm »

I thought we sent jack rabbits to Austrailia. The problem was there wasn't any predators, so the populations took off. Then, they imported coyotes to take care of the rabbit problem.

Rats are an Old World import. They came with the Pilgrims. Where did multi-flora rose come from?

As long as we continue to import a good deal of our goods, we will continue to get these hitch hikers into our environment. Many have come in through our ports.

Sylvus · « **Reply #15 on:** December 02, 2002, 01:09:33 pm »

Regarding North American pests as exotic forest damaging species in Europe . . . yes, examples do exist, but they are far less common than the other way around. Humans have been transporting biological materials in Asia/Europe for millenia and the ecological systems adapted long before anyone even bothered to wonder about it. Those systems are much more resilient to invaders than our North American systems, which is why movement of new species has more negative effects in the new world than the reverse direction. The new world has been receiving human-transported species for only a few centuries.

Tom · « **Reply #16 on:** December 02, 2002, 01:50:07 pm »

welcome to the ForestryForum, Sylvus.

Bibbyman · « **Reply #17 on:** December 03, 2002, 05:12:35 am »

Not all exotics are coming from overseas. Son Chris was out coon hunting and the dogs treed(?) an armadillo!

I've heard they've been migrating further north and have seen them in southwest Missouri for a number of years. But how this bugger got across the Missouri River to the north side I can't figure.

north_bugtussel · « **Reply #18 on:** December 03, 2002, 06:48:20 am »

Bibbyman, I believe the old world had tobbaco, but "snorted" it. Kind of a way to clear the sinuses

. The american natives taught the white man to smoke the tobbaco, kind of getting even with them, ahead of time, for what they would eventually do to the Indians

J_T · « **Reply #19 on:** December 03, 2002, 06:34:30 pm »

Armidillo known as a hard shell possum. Probley hitch a ride.

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Author Topic: Exotic Pests (Read 3423 times)