Inspect the Unexpected

This article from Inside Bay Area talks about the folks at the San Francisco branch of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). I always like reading this type of piece because of the examples offered of weird things found by the inspectors. Best one in this case is the larvae of a rhinoceros beetle.

Tangled Bank is here!

Check out the latest edition of The Tangled Bank, of which the ISW is a proud member. This week it is hosted at Respectful Insolence, and features not only an ISW post but also this excellent piece, from Chris Clarke over at Creek Running North. Chris' post is a meaty commentary about a history professor's own weblog entry about invasive species, posted last September.

Eat Your Greens

The Michigan Nature Association is having an interesting fundraiser, according to this report from The Oakland Press. This Saturday, they are holding an "Eat the Invasive" Garlic Mustard Benefit Dinner. Lucky attendees will be able to sample a variety of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) dishes, from hors d'oeuvres to desserts! Then, through early spring, the organization is holding a series of "Food Workdays" where volunteers spend time pulling garlic mustard. The pulled greens are then donated to a local food bank.

Croaked

A study done by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh indicates that Roundup, an herbicide commonly used to control invasive plants, is toxic to frogs. As reported by SciScoop, the study was initially done to see if Roundup impacted the frogs by decreasing their food supply. The frog killer in Roundup is not the active ingredient, glyphosate, but the surfactant (polyethoxylated tallowamine) that helps the herbicide penetrate into the plants. You can also check out Dr. Rick Relea's home page here, and read the abstract for his recently published study here.

Clarification: Thanks to a member of the APHIS listserver for pointing out that it was not the glyphosate in the Roundup that is harmful to frogs, and that there are other glyphosate-containing herbicides that can be used to combat weeds and do not contain polyethoxylated tallowamine. I have corrected the paragraph above to reflect this, and shame on me for not reading the last two paragraphs of the story!

Swamp Thang

From the same slightly odd folks who brought us the "Knotweed!" PSA comes the funny and creepy "Gill Man!" PSA. In it, a woman is attacked by a swamp creature, but the true menaces are the clumps of invasive aquatic weeds that cling to them. Worth a watch (get QuickTime if you don't have it already).

We Don't Need No Defoliation

The noises you're hearing are the cries of thousands of Massachusetts homeowners and the entire Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation. They've all read an article similar to this one from The Upper Cape Codder, about how we should expect at least 5 years of massive tree and shrub defoliation due to the invasion of the European winter moth (Operophtera brumata). After that, scientists are hoping that they will be ready to release populations of a biological control (Cyzenis albicans) to keep the moth in check. Check out the article for information about uncovering signs of winter moth infestations and tips on how to protect trees.

In a few weeks, anyone that saw massive congregations of moths at their porch light this winter (mostly southeastern Massachusetts) is likely to be inundated by tiny, hungry caterpillars. They don't seem very picky about what they eat so most plants will be vulnerable. You can read more about the history of this invader from UMass Extension.

Bonus points to the Mass. media for keeping the scientific name of the moth in their articles.

EPA = Environmentally Passive Agency?

I had to read this article from The Oregonian twice to make sure I got it right. Apparently the EPA did not consider ballast contaminated with invasive species to be covered under the Clean Water Act. A federal judge has overturned EPA regulations exempting ships from acquiring a permit before dumping ballast water, and now the organization that is supposed to be protecting the environment is expected to appeal the ruling. Not that I think it makes sense from an economic or technological standpoint to suddenly demand that all incoming ships treat their ballast water to kill any potential invasive species. It's just that this is not the same EPA I grew up with.