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Invasive pests and diseases are the biggest threats facing Indiana's urban and rural forests today.

Use this website to learn about these pests and what you can do to protect Indiana's trees.
How do they get here?
Many invasive forest pests reach our shores hidden in shipments from other countries. Many shipments of products we use every day—clothing, building materials, fresh and processed foods—are packaged in wooden crates or pallets to protect them in transit. These wooden packaging materials are often made of poor-quality wood that is more likely to harbor pests. In 2005, the U.S. adopted a rule requiring sanitizing treatments for all imported wood packaging materials to reduce the likelihood of new pest introductions. However, several high-impact forest pests, such as emerald ash borer, likely arrived and established in the U.S. before these regulations were in place.

Another common pathway by which invasive forest pests enter the U.S. is through live plant imports. Trees imported for landscaping purposes sometimes arrive contaminated with microbes or insects from their countries of origin. Invasive tree pathogens (diseases) are especially likely to enter through this pathway, because they are very difficult to detect on imported plants.
Why are they such a problem?
Our native tree species have never seen these pests before and therefore have no defenses against them. When invasive pests arrive on our shores, they have left behind the natural factors that keep their populations in check, and their populations can grow out of control.

Unfortunately, several of our native U.S. forest pest species have arrived in other countries through global trade, too. Though these pests are relatively benign here at home, they are wreaking havoc in foreign forests.
News
June 7, 2013: Butler Co., OH- Ohio quarantines Cincinnati area for walnut twig. Link to Story

June 6, 2013: DeKalb Co., IN- Program helps homeowners replace infested ash trees. Link to Story

June 1, 2013: Sugar Ridge, OH- Outlook grim for battle against borer. Link to Story

May 6, 2013: Lafayette, IN- More than 150 plant trees for Arbor Day. Link to Story
Upcoming Webinars
Date Topic Presenters Link
October 10, 2013 EAB Biocontrol Progress and Possibilities Juli Gould, USDA APHIS Link to Webinar
October 24, 2013 US Regulatory Measures to Control Invasives and Limit Introductions using the Case Study of ALB in Massachusetts Clint McFarlandUSDA APHIS Federal Project Manager, Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program-Massachusetts Link to Webinar
November 7, 2013 Building an EAB management program from the ground up: Milwaukee's perspective Randy Krouse, City of Milwaukee Link to Webinar
December 5, 2013 Economic impact and management of EAB in woodlots, classic wood utilization Eric McConnell, The Ohio State University Link to Webinar
 
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Report A Pest
1-866-NO-EXOTIC
(1-866-663-9684)
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