Take Action
Take action in the fight against invasive pests.
Can you help fight invasive pests? The answer is a resounding, “YES!” The efforts all of us make to fight invasive pests start with education. We need to know what we are fighting. We need to know what the invasive pests are, we need to know how they are spread, and we need to know how to stop them. If you are looking at this web site, you have already taken the first step. You have the interest. Keep reading and find out how to make that interest productive.
1) Learn. The Current Invasives in Arkansas page discusses and provides links to information about invasive pests that already call Arkansas home. Visit the page and find out what’s already here. Learn to identify those pests and report them when you find them. The key to fighting the enemy is to know where it is.
The Potential Invaders of Arkansas pages discuss new pests that are approaching Arkansas but might not be here yet. Learn to recognize those pests, and report them when they arrive. It is especially important for the State Plant Board and APHIS to learn the location of these new pests as soon as they arrive. Early detection will be the key to stopping the spread of these new invaders.
2) Clean. Many of these pests move about as hitchhikers. They ride in equipment, automobiles, boats, boots, pets, and clothing. As a result of this hitchhiking, we accidentally move these invasive pests from one place to another. We spread them around the landscape.
Most people don’t move invasive pests intentionally. When we drive across the landscape, especially off pavement, plant seeds and plant parts can get stuck to our vehicle. When we drive to another site, we carry those seeds and plant parts with us to be deposited somewhere else. We spread the pests. This is especially a danger for those of us who work outdoors and drive from site to site during the day. Make sure to clean your vehicle before you leave the site to avoid moving invasive pests to the next site.
It’s easy to transport aquatic weeds and animals when we move boats from one lake to another. When we operate boats in a lake, plant parts stick to the boat and to the trailer when the boat is pulled out of the water. Those plant parts are then deposited in the next lake when the boat re-enters the water. Young fish and larvae of zebra mussels may be trapped in water inside the boat. Make sure to drain and clean your boat before leaving the lake or at least before entering another lake. If you have been fishing, clean your fishing equipment and don’t dump unused bait into the lake. These links go to web sites explaining how to clean your boat.
Attention Anglers: Invasive Threats – Clean Your Gear (National Park Service)
Boat Inspection and Cleaning Procedures for All Water Craft Owners (Utah) [boat_inspection.pdf]
Don’t Let Invasives Take Over Texas Lakes (Texas Parks and Wildlife)
Prevent the Spread of Aquatic Invasives (New York DEC)
Take Action: Zebra Mussels (TexasInvasives.org)
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHSv) Fact Sheet (Arkansas Game and Fish) [VHSvFactSheet.pdf]
We also move invasive pests as we travel around the country. Invasive pests often lay eggs in or make nests in lawn furniture, grills, and automobiles. When we take this equipment camping or move to a new home, we can take invasive pests with us. How many times have you taken firewood when you went camping? Wood is one of the most common harbors of invasive pests. Visit these two web sites to learn more about the dangers of moving firewood.
Forest Conservation – Firewood: Buy It Where You Burn It (Nature Conservancy)
Agricultural equipment is designed to contact soils and plants. As a result, farm tractors, farm implements, and logging equipment are at a great risk for transporting invasive pests. Before you move agricultural equipment from one site to another, clean and inspect it to make sure you are not moving an invasive pest to a new site.
Cogongrass on farm equipment images
1237046-ppt.jpg – cogongrass rhizome on mower blade
5422125-ppt.jpg – cogongrass seeds in tractor radiator
Don’t forget to inspect pets and even yourself after a day in the woods. Plant seeds can become entangled in clothing and pet fur and be moved from the forest you visited to your home or the next forest you visit.
3) Research. Before you plant ornamental species, read about them and find out if they are invasive pests. Several of our most problematic invasive pests currently are sold as ornamental plants. Ornamental plants such as like Bradford pear (aka callery pear), Japanese blood grass (aka cogongrass), popcorn tree (aka Chinese tallow tree), privet (Chinese, Japanese, and European), Chinaberry, and Japanese honeysuckle are often used as ornamental plants; but they become serious invasive pests when they escape into our natural environment. Consider using native ornamental plants. They may be more difficult to find, but they do not destroy our natural environment because they are part of it.
4) Volunteer. Removing invasive pests in expensive. As a result, many public parks and privately owned natural areas rely on volunteer labor to help remove invasive pests. Look for opportunities to volunteer and give a day or two each year to help eradicate an invasive pest. Use the opportunity as a family outing and teach your children (or parents) about invasive pests.
