What happens when a nefarious bug threatens valuable California citrus crops? Unleash a swarm of foreign parasitic wasps to kick the little bug’s butt! Trace explains how this is gonna work, and tells stories of what other invasive species are up to around the world.
Read More:
Citrus growers import wasp to fight disease threatening groves
“Pesticides haven’t worked. Quarantines have been useless. Now California citrus farmers have hired an assassin to knock off the intruder threatening their orchards.”
Has the Asian Citrus Psyllid Parasitoid, Tamarixia radiata, Established in California?
“The Problem: Tamarixia radiata, a tiny parasitic wasp has been imported into California from thePunjab of Pakistan to attack nymphs of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), a serious citrus pest that has established wide spread populations in the counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside (significantly smaller populations are known in Imperial and San Diego Counties too).”
Worst Invasive Species: 10 Frustrating Plants And Animals That Make You Scream (PHOTOS)
“They’re often the most ubiquitous examples of man’s failure against nature. These creatures spread quickly, resist any attempt at control and are wildly undesirable.”
10 of the World’s Worst Invasive Species
“Not all invasions come from marauding armies. You can devastate a place just by introducing a non-native species that creates dramatic and unexpected shifts in the dynamics of the ecosystem.”
What’s Buzzing with Africanized Honey Bees?
“In 1990, a honey bee swarm unlike any before found in the United States was identified just outside the small south Texas town of Hidalgo.”
ASIAN CITRUS PSYLLID (ACP) / HUANGLONGBING (HLB)
“The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is a pest that acts as a carrier or vector spreading “huanglongbing” (HLB), a devastating disease of citrus trees. This bacterial disease is transmitted to healthy trees by the psyllid after it feeds on infected plant tissue.”
Asian citrus psyllid parasitoid
Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is an effective ectoparasitoid of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae).
Florida Holds High-Profile Hunt for Low-Profile Creatures
“State wildlife officials became so frustrated with the prolific and invasive Burmese pythons that on Jan. 12 they began a one-month hunt…”
Watch More:
Invader Snakes:
Don’t Flush Fish:
Ode To Coffee:
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34 comments
Australia has so many invasive species. I wish we could introduce cheetahs here. There would be a lot of benefits to both cheetah conservation and to the eradication of other invasive species.
stop an invasive species with an invasive species. Bad Logic.
i think we are digging ourselves a bigger hole
Ehhh we're better at this whole "Bringing our own invasive species" thing than you guys. Been in the biz for quite a while.
yes indeed we are
hahaha funny….
actually we have both been in with introducing foreign aliens to the environment for equally as long, the difference is that you have done more and therefor succeeded more, hopefully this has helped create rules and helpful information for introducing more species… personally i think that introducing aliens into the environment should be illegal upon international laws but like banning all non-free range farms worldwide i don't think its going to happen any time soon, so do it well at least.
Nobody should put me in government cause I am an experiment junkie, oh wait… too late for that my spot is taken.
It's simple you burn them….. With fire
You can't fight fire with fire. The wasp thing might of worked this time but nature
…. Is too complex to guess the out come. Anything could of gone wrong and it could of gotten worse.
no, you're kidding yourself…
when people brought rabbits to New Zealand they destroyed crops, so then they brought stoats, weasels and ferrets to make the rabbit population go down, but they just went for the native birds instead. now most of New Zealand's surviving native birds have to live in captivity.
No problem, sorry if I sounded rude!
red squirrels in the UK :/
14 states im canada its 14 provinces and there is only 10 provinces and 3 territory's so no matter what there is not 14
Reavers! Firefly! Serenity! ahhhh!
interesting
I'm pretty sure were are the best invasive species evurrrrr :D
well if they released a few cheetah periodically and made sure they were all male then wouldn't that curb the possibility of them becoming another invasive species while curbing the already invasive species there?
Releasing a wasp to combat an insect problem? Wasn't their any sort of organic alternative that could combat it? What happens now if those wasps released continue migrating in further? Will it start attacking or breeding out other native wasps or other beneficial insects?
invasive species you mean mexicans xD?
Dumbass v
Actually you mean humans
Sometimes you gotta dig a bigger hole to in order to get the results you want xD
Nice, slippin in the Firefly reference
I think that honestly the agricultural community always gets what they want in this regard which never actually works. Cane Toads were released to remove the cane beetle despite knowing from past experiences that this would not work. Then we had agricultural communities grow gamba grass because they wanted faster, larger growing grasses to feed grazing livestock they released the water buffalo to get rid of that and now we have a water buffalo problem. We have to stop letting the agricultural community decide what we can and can't import it will only result in further issues. (fun side note there was talk in releasing elephants to remove the gamba grass)
Did I hear a FireFly reference?
Could you guys do an episode on European Honey Bees and if they are an invasive species in North America?
skunks in UK?
Humans are invasive.
Well good source, but wish he wouldnt have said damn. Not exactly kid friendly. lol
You forgot to mention cats!!!!
Invasive species is not a thing. Its mother nature. Its fight to survive and natural selection.