Some of the largest snakes in the world, these coiled beasties have terrorized the Everglades for decades. In addition to their environmental damage, nutria also carry a nematode parasite that can infect human skin and cause a dermatitis known as "nutria itch." After all, nutria consume 25 percent of their bodyweight every day. They may be cute, but the nutria’s constant feeding, burrowing and digging results in uprooted plants and soil erosion - destroying natural marsh habitat for neighboring crabs, muskrats and fish. When the industry disbanded, these rodents were released in the wild and began to populate America’s riverbanks and marshes. With skinny tails and big orange buckteeth, this prolific critter was imported from South America for the fur trade in the 1930s. And ever since their arrival in Miami in 2011, authorities have captured 141,000 giant crawlers.įound: Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, TexasĪt first glance, this ginormous, beaver-like rodent is rather cute, but those who know them well call them swamp rats. In 2014, authorities seized 1,200 live snails linked to one seller in Georgia. Still, these slimy invaders are in demand. Besides their ability to destroy crops, native populations and even buildings, these tropical beasts can also cause meningitis in humans. The world’s largest species of snail, African land snail colonies cause all other tree snails in the area to go extinct. They eat 500 types of plants, including row crops and citrus fruits, and they’ll even eat the plaster and stucco right off your home.Ĭoveted as pets for their unique size and rabbit-like appearance, African snails can lay over 1,000 eggs a year and have no natural predators in the U.S. Over a foot long and six inches across, giant African land snails have an appetite that matches their size. Stink bugs thrive in warm Southern states, where there are no Asian wasp species to keep their spread in check. Homes can contain up to 30,000 of these little guys, hiding under siding, soffits, windows, doorframes and chimneys.Īrriving from Asia in packing crates in the 1990s, stink bugs had spread to 40 states by 2012. What’s worse, these stinky buggers invade your home during the winter. Their feedings result in necrotic fruit, seed loss, stem rot and the transmission of plant pathogens. Sure, they smell like cilantro and they don’t bite or carry disease, but did you know stink bugs invade your home and drive up fruit and vegetable prices?Ī year-round pest in many orchards, stink bugs lay waste to apples, cherries, corn, grapes, beans, peaches, raspberries and pears. Areas of the United States where psyllids have been detected are under quarantine, which may or may not help, given the fact that females lay up to 800 eggs during their lifetimes.įound: Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Texas Psyllids were first detected in Miami in 1998, and the bacteria they carry was discovered in 2005. It’s estimated that half of Florida’s citrus trees - 80 percent of the nation’s orange juice producers - are infected. These sap-sucking buggers carry bacteria known as “citrus greening” or “yellow dragon disease.” This cancer-like pathogen can deform roots, causing trees to die and fruits to wither and drop early. What’s the biggest threat to Florida orange juice? The Asian citrus psyllid. These vicious fliers sting 10 times as much as the European honeybees, and they’ve killed countless animals and more than 1,000 humans.Įxpanding at a rate of a mile a day, these heat-loving bees have spread throughout much of the South - outcompeting and overtaking European honeybee hives at an alarming rate.įound: Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas Wildly defensive and aggressive, Africanized bees will chase a person over a quarter mile. After colonies were established in South America in the 1950s, 26 swarms accidentally escaped and spread throughout South America - eventually arriving in North America in 1985. Ever wonder why it takes so long to get through customs after an international trip? Well, it has a lot to do with the foreign invaders who sneak into suitcases and catch rides on fruit peels.įrom aggressive ants that arrived by cargo ship, to genetically engineered bees that escaped the field, here are eight invasive species threatening the plants, pets and people of Stark country.įound: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texasĭesigned to be prolific, warm-weather honey-producers, Africanized bees are a hybrid of European and African honeybees.
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