Invading Pests: What Can Gardeners Do?

Aquatic weeds clog Yuba-Sutter irrigation ditches and crowd out native vegetation.

Click on these pictures for more information:

Water Primrose

Water Lettuce

Arundo

When it comes to the spread of non-native plant and animal pests, the world is truly a smaller place. These intruders threaten the environment and cost billions of dollars annually in lost agricultural production. Because they take advantage of new food sources and have no natural enemies, their populations can literally explode almost overnight.

As gardeners, we are on the "front lines" and can provide valuable assistance to federal, state, and local quarantine officials by spotting and reporting unusual plants and animals. Please browse our links for information about these and other unwelcome visitors to California.

Visit these sites for more information:

Sutter County Department of Agriculture, Pest Detection Program - See photos of some of California's most serious quarantine pests.

Invasive Pests Home Page (www.hungrypests.com) - The Hungry Pests Coalition, an alliance of agricultural commodity and conservation organizations, has published a highly informative website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. See photos and videos of California's most serious invasive and exotic pests, plus the latest information on efforts to eradicate them.

California Invasive Plant Council's "Don't Plant a Pest" Program - Some common landscape plants are highly invasive. Find out which plants cause problems and which are more environmentally-friendly choices for your landscape:
Central Valley - Foothill

PlantRight - You can make wise plant choices that prevent invasive plants from escaping from your own garden.

UC IPM How to Manage Exotic and Invasive Pests - Links to articles, fact sheets and other UC IPM research program information, including the California Invasive Plant Council's Invasive Plant Inventory.