ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 1, 2015) – Exotic species are in the news almost daily. They can be found in our parks and even in our own backyards. Sadly, many of them are so common, most people do not realize that they do not belong here. To be invasive, an organism must have evolved somewhere other than where it's found in Maryland, have a negative impact on the environment it moves into, and have been moved, deliberately or by accident, by people.

For example, when the brown marmorated stink bug silently slipped into the U.S., it was years before it was correctly identified as an exotic species. By that time it was already becoming a pest in orchards and vineyards.

One of the first questions about most invasive species is "How did it get here?" — quickly followed by "Could it have been prevented?" The majority of invasive plant seed, disease and insect pests are accidentally introduced. How, you might ask? While the list of pathways is surprisingly long, the most common avenues are the movement of goods produced in foreign countries, travelers returning home with souvenirs, and internet sales. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) work to prevent the introduction of such pests. In this month of increased holiday travel by both people and packages, the Maryland Invasive Species Council has chosen this prevention work as the topic for the December's "Invader of the Month".

Cargo is moved in large containers with products shrink-wrapped on pallets, in boxes, or simply loaded in trucks. This results in many small hiding places that insects, seeds, and snails can use to move, unbeknownst to them, all over the world. To prevent this from happening, CBP, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, routinely inspects cargo. The searches are extensive and include examining the exterior of shipping containers for hitchhikers adhering to the undercarriage and walls. Inside the container, pallets are checked to ensure that they have been properly treated to prevent the movement of bark beetles and woodborers. Inspectors then move to the product being shipped. Flashlights, forceps and box-cutters are routinely used to open, inspect, and manipulate the products to ensure they are pest free. The final stage of an inspection is to sweep out the empty cargo container and look for any seeds or insects that were hiding in the corners.

Most people love escaping on vacation, but if you have ever traveled internationally you might recall filling out a declaration form before leaving the faraway airport to return home. Preventing the movement of pests in baggage is challenging and relies on several factors, including the declaration form. The declaration is a reminder to all passengers entering the US that bringing in certain items is prohibited. The declaration is a federal form and false claims are subject to penalty. To reinforce the urgency and in an attempt to keep people honest, CPB randomly selects passengers for screening, checks passenger lists against a database of previous violators, and walks the baggage floor with highly trained K9 units.

The last pathway of pest introduction is internet sales. The internet has drastically increased the average person's ability to buy products, knowingly or not, from foreign countries. Foreign markets are trying to meet the high demand for heirlooms and specialty varieties and non-GMO seeds for home gardeners. Small packets of seeds are easily mailed and are found only by hard work and highly trained K9 Units. Unfortunately, a recent study reports that our current biosecurity practices are not effectively preventing the trade of plant material via internet sales (Humair et al. 2015).

You can contribute to the economic and ecological safety of the US and your own backyard by being a careful and conscientious traveler and internet purchaser. Know what you're importing, where it comes from, and make sure it's legal.Given the sheer volume of cargo, baggage and mail entering the US on a daily basis, it is unrealistic to believe that every pest will be found. Pests such as the tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta), wheat bug (Nysius huttoni), oak ambrosia beetle (Platypus quercivorus) and Asiatic brown rot (Monilia polystroma) are known threats. Unfortunately there are hundreds of species like them that not only threaten our neighborhoods but the entire U.S. economy. In response to this ongoing threat, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established several programs to eradicate, or at least mediate the impacts of, new pests. Examples of this work include recalling products found to be infested or in violation of federal regulations, conducting surveys in and around the ports where cargo first enters the US and pests are most likely to establish, and providing funding to perform trapping across the country for high risk pests.

For more information about Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland, visit the Maryland Invasive Species Council.

photos available electronically on request.

References

Humair, Franziska, Luc Humair, Fabian Kuhn and Christoph Kueffer. 2015. E-commerce trade in invasive plants. Conserv. Bio. (in press)

US Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Form 6059B (04/14)

Additional Resources

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

The post Preventing Invaders first appeared on Maryland Invasive Species Council.

ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 20, 2012) – Many people have fond memories of raising some sort of classroom “pet,” be it butterflies, frogs, fish, hermit crabs, or “regular” pets like hamsters or gerbils. Watching a plant or animal go through its entire lifecycle is incredibly fascinating and can be an invaluable experience for a child who is just getting excited about learning.

But what is growing in your classroom? Are you learning about a native species, or a foreign one? And when you’re done with your classroom pet or project, what happens?

Ideally (perhaps to the surprise of some), these organisms should either be kept by students or teachers, or humanely disposed of. What many people don’t realize is that many of the species grown in classrooms, while great for education, are bad for our Maryland ecosystem. If the species does not occur naturally, and it proliferates in the wild (as so many do), it can do great harm to the naturally occurring flora and fauna. These organisms pose special risks because the people caring for them (simply by being students and their teachers) are often not as knowledgeable about the organisms as they could be, and not prepared for the long term (i.e., the organism’s lifespan). Release into the wild after a stint in a classroom is all too common. For this reason, classroom organisms have been chosen as the Invader of the Month.

If you were to think about the pets one might raise in a classroom, what comes to mind? Butterflies are probably your first thought. Many a class has raised a caterpillar and watched it turn into a chrysalis and then a beautiful butterfly when learning about the life cycle.

In Maryland, we of course have lots of beautiful native butterflies. In fact, our state insect is the Baltimore Checker-Spot butterfly. Unfortunately this species of Maryland fauna is now fairly rare. Other natives include the monarch, the red admiral, many types of swallowtails, etc. In classroom projects, the most common butterfly to raise is the Painted Lady. This is also a native species, and is an example of something that could be safe to release into the wild. But butterflies like the Cabbage White, originally from Europe, are actually invasive, and should be avoided.

Goldfish are another common classroom pet (and are also something commonly won at fairs, by children). Those who do not want to care for them often release them into backyard ponds, lakes, and streams, where they usually thrive, as goldfish are a hardy, coldwater species of carp. We have carp here—but not this kind! Goldfish can grow to extremely large sizes given space and food. In fact, outgrowing a tank is often the reason people release them. Given a wide open pond with plenty of smaller things to eat, they can quickly take over.

Frogs are another example of this idea; if you get tadpoles, children can watch the frog slowly but surely come into its own and reach adulthood. It’s natural, after that, to want to release it and allow it to thrive as an adult. But know what you grow; non-native frogs are incredibly dangerous to an ecosystem. Imagine if someone were to release African Clawed frogs (common in gift stores) into a stream or lake—this particular frog can grow to 5 inches and is voraciously carnivorous.

You might be surprised by the kind of animals you could find in classrooms, too. I know a girl who has a pet tarantula that used to be a class pet—no tarantulas are native to Maryland, so this was the perfect “final destination” for that arachnid. People also keep stickbugs, which are awesome classroom pets, but many species of them are also parthenogenic, and could be absolutely devastating to an ecosystem if not properly contained. Even the waste from these insects has to be properly disposed of, because it could contain eggs (freeze it for a few days before throwing it out).

It’s not only animals from classrooms that can be a problem, of course. Plants are some of the worst invaders. They can spread with alarming rapidity, especially water plants. Plants such as the anacharis (elodea)-like hydrilla are popular in classrooms to use under the microscope, because they have such easily seen cells in their leaves. They are also popular in aquariums; so put your plants to use there after you’re done in the classroom, instead of in the wild! Anyone that has had anacharis in their aquarium knows how fast it can grow. Anacharis is native to North America, but hydrilla is not, and many lakes across the country are having huge problems with the spread of this water weed.

Perhaps one of the coolest, and most dangerous, classroom projects is a mini ecosystem, or terrarium. Often these have multiple organisms in them—snails on the land portion, a goldfish or guppy in the water, an aquatic plant for the fish, etc, a perfect storm. I’ve already mentioned the dangers of invasive fish and plants.

Gerbils are an active, social and interesting classroom pet. They are omnivorous, hardy and are perfect invaders. In fact, California bans possession of gerbils for fear that they would establish themselves in agricultural fields.

Keep, don’t release! Whether it’s something you acquired from school or the fair, keep it or rehome it, but don’t release it into the wild. Past science projects can make fascinating pets. If you can’t keep it, humanely dispose of it rather than release it. It’s better than disrupting our Maryland ecosystem. Most plants and insects can be safely and easily disposed of by freezing. Or you can find someone who would appreciate a new pet to care for and love. But whatever you do, don’t release non-native species into Maryland’s ecosystem. It’s not doing anyone (or anything) any favors.

For more information about Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland, visit the Maryland Invasive Species Council.

photos available electronically on request.

The post Classroom Pets and Projects first appeared on Maryland Invasive Species Council.