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Watch Out for Alien Invaders!

Did you know we're under attack? It's true. Attacks by invasive alien species are causing major problems in Canada and around the world.

What Exactly Are Invasive Alien Species?

INVASIVE: very successful at spreading quickly in their new habitat

ALIEN: live outside of their native range - in places where they did not originate

SPECIES: living creatures or organisms

Put it all together and you've got "creatures that live outside their native range and are very successful at spreading quickly in their new habitat".

Don't move that firewood! It might be hiding the emerald ash borer or the Asian long-horned beetle. These insects are invasive alien species and they're killing thousands of trees in Ontario right now! If you go camping and take along firewood from home, you could be helping these insects attack new territories.

How Did They Get Here?

Sometimes species are moved intentionally and sometimes they're moved unintentionally.

Tourists bring home alien species all the time. They bring exotic plants and pets home, intentionally, and they bring bugs home, unintentionally. Travelers can even bring tiny alien species home in the mud on the bottom of their shoes.

Many invasive aliens arrive on cargo ships. The Asian long-horned beetle and emerald ash borer came to Canada as "stowaways" - hidden inside wooden packing crates aboard cargo ships.

How Alien Species Cause Problems

The main reason that alien species get out of control is because they have escaped from their natural enemies. When species are in their native habitat, their numbers are kept in check by parasites, predators and disease.
The Bullies of the Natural World
Invasive alien species are bullies. They take more than their share of food and space and can therefore sometimes drive native species to extinction.

True or False: Your pet cat is an alien? True.


Photo: Susan Stone

Not all alien species are invasive. It’s believed that cats originally came from Africa.

Enjoy your alien french fries! Why not wash them down with a glass of cold alien milk? Potatoes came from South America and cows came from Europe.

Clearly, not all alien species cause problems. However, there's no way to predict what will happen when you introduce a species to a new environment. The results can be devastating.

Strange but True

"Pet" snakes are taking over the Florida Everglades!

Some people are terrified of snakes. Others think they're fascinating.

Photo: Courtesy of National Park Service

Snakes are fascinating and few are harmful, but some should never be kept as pets. Over 1 million baby Burmese pythons have been imported into North America as pets since the year 2000. Sure, the Burmese starts out small and sweet but it grows rapidly. Can you imagine trying to look after a 90 kg (200 lb) pet snake?

The Burmese python is one of the largest species of snakes in the world. When full grown, it can open its jaws wide enough to swallow an adult human. When Burmese pythons become too large to handle, some people simply release them into the wild.

In Florida, many overwhelmed pet owners released their Burmese pythons into the Florida Everglades (a unique subtropical wetland). The Burmese multiplied quickly and is now considered an invasive alien and a major threat to Everglades habitat. The Burmese is native to Southeast Asia and doesn't belong in the Everglades. It eats creatures of all shapes and sizes – including a number of threatened species. Scientists had hoped that alligators would keep the python in check but fights between the two often end in a tie. Sometimes they both die.

Emerald Ash Borer


In spring, the female emerald ash borer lays her eggs in cracks in the bark of ash trees. The eggs soon hatch into larvae (little worms). The larvae immediately begin eating the soft wood under the bark. As they feed, they create tunnels that cut off the flow of nutrients. The tree basically starves. By summer, the larvae turn into adult beetles. They exit the tree leaving behind tiny "D"-shaped holes. That's one of the ways you can tell if an emerald ash borer has been attacking a tree.
Emerald ash borer
Photo: Ed Czerwinski

Look for the "D" shaped holes. Also look for damage to the leaves at the top of the tree. Of course, that damage might be hard to see – unless you're in a very tall building!

Incredible Fact!
The emerald ash borer has killed over 50 million ash trees in North America in less than 15 years.

Emerald ash borers can fly to other trees in the same neighbourhood, but even wider spreading is caused by humans. If we move infested firewood to a new area, this bug will soon get busy looking for a new tree to attack.

What's Being Done to Stop Them?


When these invasive species were first discovered in Ontario, forest experts tried to stop the spread with a quarantine around the infested areas. They didn't want anyone to move infected wood out of its area. Any infested trees being cut down were completely destroyed. Because it's so hard for people to know which type of firewood might be infested, people are being asked not to move any firewood and that helps stop the spread of several other invasive pests too. Insecticide sprays haven't worked, but some research using chemical injections is underway. Meanwhile, scientists are looking for a better way to get rid of the problem.
Asian long-horned beetle
Photo: David Copplestone

Maybe they’ll find a predator from another region that likes to eat these bugs! Of course, bringing a predator from another region can be very risky.

In China, the Asian long-horned beetle is called the "starry sky beetle" because of its shiny black body with white spots.
The predator might become an invasive alien and then they'll have to find another predator to deal with the first predator!

To get all the facts about these forest pests
and other invasive species
check out InvadingSpecies.com.
Let them know if you see one!

The Hit Squad

Each year hundreds of college and university students in Ontario join a hit squad! The Invasive Species Hit Squad is a summer job program that gives students the opportunity to help the environment. Hit Squad members first attend "invasive species summer school" where they learn all about invasive species, the damage they cause to the environment and what can be done to help stop their spread. Then they head out to communities to share everything they've learned. For more information call 1-800-563-7711.


Would you believe?
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, invasive alien species are the second biggest threat to biodiversity. (Habitat loss is the biggest threat.)

Dog Attacked by Vines?!

Have you ever heard of a plant called "dog strangling vine"? Luckily, this plant has never actually attacked a dog, but it has "strangled" many plants and small trees. Part of the milkweed family, dog strangling vine "attacks" by forming a thick, canopy above other vegetation. The canopy keeps smaller plants from getting the sunlight they need to survive. Originally from Europe, this vine is causing major problems in parts of Ontario and Quebec.

Dog Strangling Vine Photo: Michael Irvine

Watch the Incredible World Investigators tackle invasive species such as the Emerald Ash Borer. Go to the Our Incredible World website and click on Alien Invaders.

Go to http://www.incredibleworld.ca to find out more about amazing species and their habitats.