Invasive Species

Events

Individual Plant Treatments to Control Woody Invasives

July 31, 2024

Blog Posts

clump of johnsongrass in bloom with red seed heads

A closer look at Johnsongrass, a challenging invasive grass

June 24, 2024

Summer is here, which brings a very busy programming schedule. In the past few weeks I’ve driven across the five counties I work in to deliver youth...

Have you heard of hammerhead worms?

June 3, 2024

While you may be familiar with many invasive plants and insects, the hammerhead worm is perhaps one of the strangest and least well-known invaders to...

Identifying danger: toxic plants that look like carrots

May 31, 2024

The other day, I had the opportunity to chaperone a school group at a local state park. While on the field trip, a volunteer-led the students on a...

Tackling invasives, restoring natives

May 24, 2024

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Eliminating honeysuckle from Hedge Apple Woods has been a persistent challenge. However, this invasive shrub is not the only...

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News Releases

June 20, 2024

Take care of your trees with summer Forestry Stewardship Series
URBANA, Ill. — Illinois has 4.8 million acres of tree-covered land. From shading homes and feeding wildlife to producing oxygen and filtering water, trees do a lot of heavy lifting. Give them a hand by discovering innovative, research-based management options in the summer Forestry...

A collection of small Asian longhorned ticks on a leaf

May 17, 2024

Report Asian longhorned ticks to help track invasive pest that threatens livestock
URBANA, Ill. — The invasive Asian longhorned tick, which can pose a health risk for humans, animals, and livestock, has been found in Illinois for the first time. Residents of west central Illinois are advised to watch out for and report sightings of this new pest. The Asian...

Two men at a table inspect a red crayfish in a container

May 13, 2024

Illinois Conservation Police dive into preventing spread of aquatic invasive species
DECATUR, Ill. — A group of 150 Illinois Conservation Police Officers gathered in Decatur for a hands-on workshop on aquatic invasive species during their annual meeting this spring. Developed by the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant aquatic invasive species team in...

April 16, 2024

Get tools to manage non-native plants and insects at Illinois Invasive Species Symposium
URBANA, Ill. — Spotted lanternflies were found in Illinois for the first time in 2023. Quagga and zebra mussels clog water intake pipes on Lake Michigan, and every spring, invasive Bradford Callery pear trees and amur bush honeysuckle bloom across Illinois communities instead of native...

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Videos

New Invaders: Spotted Lanternfly

Spotted lanternfly is the newest “unwanted” invasive pest in Illinois. Learn how to identify and report this invasive insect as well as how to manage it and prevent further spread.

Tricia Bethke from The Morton Arboretum explores why monitoring for spotted lanternflies in winter is...