As the summer season approaches so do a variety of bugs and plants many of which are not meant to be here in Maryland. Now which of these invasive species can you expect to see and should look out for this summer?
Spotted Lantern Fly
From last year, the Spotted Lantern Fly is the first bug on this list you can expect to see again. Now in May the nymphs of this invasive bug are beginning to be seen, so by June it’s expected for the bugs to be fully grown. The nymphs are relatively small and are black with white spots, like any other invasive species it is encouraged to kill these bugs upon seeing them. There is no particular way to kill them so squishing, stomping, and smacking are all recommended. Fully grown Spotted Lantern Flies have a different look from their nymph form, they appear as seen in the picture below.
Japanese Beetle
Another invasive bug you can expect to see in the coming months is the Japanese Beetle. These beetles will be seen the most around crops, so if you garden lookout. Another thing to note about the beetles is that once they have infested a garden, you will not be able to get rid of them on your own, pest control will need to be called once there are multiple spotted.
Asian Longhorned Tick
The last bug on this list and the far most dangerous one is the Asian Longhorned Tick. While some ticks don’t harm people, this tick poses a threat to both people and animals. This will be most noticeable in livestock and livestock farmers, if an animal is infested with these ticks they can and will spread to people and cause disease. Below is the tick you should lookout for.
Fig Buttercup
Moving onto plants, the Fig Buttercup is an invasive species that looks like a beautiful yellow flower. These flowers while pretty pose a threat when competing with native plants, and also pose a threat to people themselves. Obviously as a result of this invasion, continue to look out for them in your garden but not just to keep the native species safe but to keep yourself safe. The flowers will grow in very thick patches very quickly. And if ingested accidentally it will make you nauseous and dizzy. Again, it’s recommended to kill these plants, make sure when doing so the roots of the flower are removed from the ground as well.
Amur Honeysuckle Tree
Another flowering type plant that while gorgeous is invasive, is the Amur Honeysuckle Tree. This flowering shrub has been fast to spread all over the east coast and has begun to creep into Canada. The speed in which these shrubs grow quickly out-compete native species, and as a result creates a large shady canopy blocking out any other plants access to sunlight. This plant only poses a threat to wildlife, it does not directly cause harm to people. Depending on the size of the tree they may be difficult to remove, so digging out roots could be a step in this.
Incised Fumewort
Lastly in the plant category is Incised Fumewort. Incised Fumewort was originally first seen invading New York but has quickly spread into a large portion of the east coast. First detected in 2018 the plant has persisted and is considered a high threat. This plant spreads quickly with a fast reproduction rate and outcompetes native species. With the length of time this plant has been invading many native species populations have largely decreased causing damage to the local ecosystem such as the herbivores that eat the native plants. Incised Fumewort is commonly very dense in the areas it’s found so removal may be tedious and time consuming. Again with any removal of invasive plants make sure to remove the entire plant including the roots. Below the plant is featured.
