Invasive species

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Blog Posts

Invasive Species and Birds
Nearly every deciduous plant in the Illinois landscape has lost it leaves for the year, except for one standout.  The non-native, invasive shrubs...
spotted lanternfly
A New Invasive Insect May Threaten Illinois
Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive pest that impacts a wide range of plants as it feeds...
truck hauling firewood
Emerald Ash Borer: Is it okay to move firewood yet?
Many years ago, when emerald ash borer (EAB), had just arrived in northern Illinois, a colleague came across a flatbed trailer loaded with cut ash...
poison hemlock flowers
Poison hemlock toxicity risk and control
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) has received a lot of attention lately, with reports of expanding populations statewide...
stacked firewood
Invasive species hitchhike on firewood
Nothing beats the warmth of a crackling fireplace on these coldest days of the year.  Each winter, as my family enjoys the cozy warmth of our...
two red insects, a lady bug and a lady beetle.
Asian lady beetles move indoors for winter
When I put my blog choice in for ladybugs versus lady beetles, I thought it was going to be an easy write-up. A piece about our native ladybugs and...
jumping worm
Fall updates: gardening trends and jumping worms
In 2021, both the consumer and retail sides of gardening have seen unique challenges due to the pandemic.  Since spring 2020, garden centers saw a...
chinese mantid
The best monster movies get their ideas from nature
I’m pretty sure I know where writers get a lot of their ideas for monster movies…from the insect world. Case in point. One minute I’m happy the...

News Releases

burning firewood
Burning local firewood this winter can save forests
URBANA, Ill. – Nothing beats the warmth of a crackling fireplace on these coldest days of the year. Each winter, as my family enjoys the cozy warmth of our woodstove room, I’m always thankful for the firewood supply we’ve been fortunate enough to accumulate. Most of the wood we burn...
digging up invasive plants
Best way to estimate costs for invasive plant removal? Get out and dig
URBANA, Ill. – Plants are designed to travel. They might not stand up and walk, but many plants produce seeds or other bits that can be carried long distances by wind or animals and start growing. While that might be great news for the plant, escapes like these can disrupt natural ecosystems and...

Videos

History of Forest Pest Outbreaks in North America

North America has a history of exotic pests that extirpate individual tree species, with Emerald Ash Borer serving as our modern example. In our current, ever-globalizing society there is significant risk for future outbreaks that may impact all of our trees from the urban forest to our...

Staff