Invasive Species

The golden flowers of French broom covering hillsides and the tall, striking stalks of pampasgrass stand out on trails and roadsides. These plants may be beautiful, but they are invasive and harm California’s natural landscapes.  Invasive plants outcompete and crowd out native plants, damaging…

You may not see them, but small hitchhikers can cling to your boats, trailers, fishing gear, kayaks, and paddleboards. These hitchhikers are aquatic invasive species like plants, fish, and mussels. Once introduced to a body of water, they can displace native species, clog motors, damage water delivery…

While bringing firewood from home for your weekend camping trip may seem harmless, many invasive pests can hide in firewood and cause serious harm to California’s forests and urban landscapes. You can help limit the spread of these unwanted hitchhikers by collecting or buying firewood close to where you plan…

Be on the lookout for invasive species threatening California! While state and federal agencies actively monitor for new invasive pests, the public serves a critical role in early detection and often are the ones who find new invasive species first.  During California Invasive Species Action Week …

Invasive species. What does that mean? Invasive species are non-native pests that harm California’s natural areas, public health, and economy. To raise awareness about these pests, UC IPM joins other state agencies to promote the annual California Invasive Species Action Week (CISAW), which goes from June 7…

The Mediterranean Oak Borer (MOB) is an invasive ambrosia beetle that infests several species of white oaks in California: valley oak, blue oak, and Oregon oak. The beetle is spreading rapidly in Northern California counties and there is considerable potential for the beetle's range to expand as they…

Tiny but destructive, the emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle that has killed millions of ash trees across North America. In some cases, infested regions have lost nearly 100% of their ash trees to this pest. Though EAB has not yet been found in California, it was detected on the West Coast for the…

The brown marmorated stink bug is an invasive pest in California, damaging gardens, crops, and invading homes. Learn how to identify and manage it.