"There are many tree species in the forest now that are suffering from attack by pests, including the beech, which produces nuts that feed bears, turkey and many other types of wildlife, and the hemlock, which creates majestic, cathedral-like, old growth forests that many people cherish. The loss of these tree species creates ripple effects that ramify through ecosystems and affect our own lives."
Gary Lovett,
Senior Scientist,
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Public Concern About Invasive Tree Killing Insects and Diseases Remains Strong
The Invaders
Invasive foreign pests and diseases are scarring landscapes in neighborhoods, city parks, ski slopes and hiking trails, and killing the trees that bring us maple syrup, fine furniture and Major League Baseball bats. Learn more about this growing problem.
For the first time in more than 50 years, much-needed regulations aimed at preventing new infestations have been proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plant inspection service. The much-needed regulations would halt imports of potentially harmful plants while a risk assessment is conducted.
Quick Facts:
- More than 400 non-native insects and plant diseases are permanently established in the United States.
- More than 500 million plants imported each year with little or no inspection.
- Introductions of invasive foreign pests are increasing, at a rate of one new pest every 12 days.
- Landowners, governments and businesses face billions of dollars in lost revenue or costs to try to control the pests.
Trees, plants and shrubs imported into the United States can have harmful hitchhikers, such as beetles buried in the wood of a sapling, or tiny mites on the leaves of a flowering plant. Find out more about the pests that kill trees in our parks and neighborhoods, choke farmland, and devastate forests.
"The nursery industry faces huge costs both to control the pests and in loss of sales and other interruptions," says Jerry Lee of the nationwide Monrovia Nursery. We can stand together against the threat these invasive foreign pests pose to nature and the economy. Learn how you can help and join Plant Smart in support of stronger regulations to protect your trees.