Invasive Species Profile: Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle

WHO? Multicolored Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis) are native to eastern Asia, and were “formally” introduced to the United States in California, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1916. Asian lady beetles are part of the cocconellid family, which is not only indicated by their bright colored wing covers, but also by their voracious […]

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Invasive Species Profile: Japanese Beetles

Compared to a few years ago, Japanese beetles have fallen out of the news. However, they can still be found in the Twin Cities. WHO? Japanese beetles (JB) are a species native to northern Japan, notorious for feeding on and destroying the roots of more than 300 plant species. The first record of Japanese beetles […]

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Invasive Species Profile: Buckthorn

Another common noxious species in Minnesota is buckthorn. Not only is buckthorn toxic to many animal species, but spreads easily and is essentially, impenetrable. WHAT? Buckthorn is a species of shrubs/small-sized tree and was initially used to create hedges and other types of landscaping. The plant can grow anywere from 3 to 30 feet in […]

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Invasive Species Profile: Emerald Ash Borer

Ash trees are highly utilized trees. They can be found across multiple cities in the United States and are often sources for firewood, creating baseball bats, bows, acoustic guitar bodies, and hand tools. Ash wood is dense, but very elastic, making it an ideal resource to have available. Unfortunately, the introduction of the emerald ash […]

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