invasive species

You might beat back phragmites, the scourge of wetlands, but then what?

3:20pm November 11, 2024

Wetlands managers have spent years using fire and chemicals to fight phragmites, an invasive reed that chokes everything else out. But coaxing beneficial native plants to move back in is difficult.

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Meet the ManhattAnt, the ant that's taken New York's streets by storm

5:00am August 14, 2024

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The ManhattAnt has become the dominant ant species in the Big Apple, and scientists aren't sure why.

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Digging in the mud for crayfish in North Carolina.

Environment

Federal grant to fund crayfish conservation efforts in North Carolina's coastal plains

3:03pm July 10, 2024

by David Ford

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Competitive State Wildlife Grant Program has awarded more than $7.4 million in grants to study threatened wildlife across the country, including endangered crayfish in North Carolina.

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Joro spider sits in the middle of a spider web.

Why you shouldn't worry about invasive Joro spiders

3:01am June 14, 2024

Joro spiders are spreading across the east coast. They are an invasive species that most likely arrived in shipping containers from eastern Asia. Today, we look into why some people find them scary, why to not panic about them and what their trajectory illustrates about the wider issue of invasive species.

Questions? You can also email those to shortwave@npr.org.

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Joro spiders are back in the news. Here's what the experts really think about them

9:00am June 08, 2024

by Associated Press

Joro spiders — invasive, brightly colored, orb-weaving arachnids that have been spreading in the U.S. for the past several years — have captured the public's interest and horror once again. But spider experts say the jury's still out on the impact the spider will have.

Joro spiders are big and colorful, but they shouldn't be nightmare fodder

1:33am June 06, 2024

by The Associated Press

Researchers say the creatures pose little threat to humans but they are concerned about the growing prevalence of invasive species — a problem made worse by global trade and climate change.

Agriculture

Carolina Curious: Why can't powerline crews cut down more invasive trees?

3:16pm April 26, 2024

by David Ford

On Carolina Curious, WFDD listener Julie Mullis wonders why more isn't being done to control invasive trees in the Piedmont and High Country.

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Giant African land snails — seen here in 2019 — have been spotted recently in three counties in Florida, spurring state officials to enact quarantines and eradication efforts against the invasive pests.

Florida once again has a giant African land snail problem

5:01am June 23, 2023

by Laurel Wamsley

The state is moving quickly to destroy the snails before the snails destroy Florida's crops. The snails contain both male and female reproductive organs and lay up to 500 eggs at a time.

A piece of plastic debris that's been colonized by both costal barnacles (pink and striped) and a gooseneck barnacle from the open ocean.

This floating ocean garbage is home to a surprising amount of life from the coasts

11:00am April 17, 2023

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A study of plastic trash hauled out of the Pacific Ocean found that most of it had been colonized by coastal life that was thriving right next to species that normally live in the open sea.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection shared this photo of the six seized snails. Authorities said the creatures will be examined for further analysis.

National

Giant African snails, a voracious invader, are intercepted at Detroit's airport

11:10am March 20, 2023

by Juliana Kim

Considered one of the most damaging snails in the world, the U.S. has worked spent over a $1 million over decades to eradicate them.