You can report invasives to eddmaps.org If you have permission to remove invasives, please do so anytime you can
How do I know if I have invasive species on my property?
Resources are available on this page and elsewhere online that can help you identify invasive species and suggest removal options. You can also contact our office for a site visit, we can even do a survey of the species on your property.
What can I do if I have invasive species on my property?
Removal methods for invasive species vary widely depending on their reproduction and ecology and unfortunately, it takes maintenance to keep invasive species from recolonizing an area. Establishing native species after removal can help keep invasives at bay. You can refer to some of our resources below, to the State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management website (sicim.info) or contact our office for further resources on where to start.
Why should I go through the trouble of fighting invasive species?
At a very base level, invasive species severely impact everyday quality of life for humans, wildlife, native flora, and our economy.
Harm to wildlife: Invasive plants are poor substitutes for native species resulting in the loss of biodiversity, native food webs, and ultimately entire ecosystems.
Since 1970, there’s been a 68% decline in the population sizes of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians (WWF’s Living Planet Report 2020).
North American bird populations are down by 2.9 billion breeding adults, with devastating losses among birds in every biome (Cornell Lab of Ornithology).
Worldwide population of arthropods, chiefly insects, has declined by 45 percent from pre-industrial times (Doug Tallamy).
Bug populations have plummeted
Extinction of native species (42% of endangered species are at risk due to invasives)
Harm to the environment:
Reduces growth and reproduction of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants through competition for soil nutrients, water, light and space.
Creates monocultures that reduce plant diversity.
Creates ecological traps for birds, mammals, amphibians and invertebrates.
Alters hydrology of water sources and shortens time for ephemeral streams and wetlands.
Honeysuckle can completely choked out a creek altering its natural flow of water
Alters soil health by increasing erosion and depleting it’s moisture levels and nutrients
Loss of forests and other ecosystems
Harm to Human Health and the Economy:
Causes human health issues through increases in mosquito larvae and tick populations.
Introduces plant pests and devastating plant diseases at great economic harm when accidentally imported into the US via nursery stock despite strict controls.
Emerald Ash Borer, Japanese Beetle and Asian Longhorned Beetle
Chestnut Blight, Sudden Oak Disease and Dutch Elm Disease
Causes damage to and loss of outdoor recreational opportunities.
The economic damages associated with invasive species in the US currently exceeds $138 billion per year.
Invasive Control Calendar
This resource is good to refer to when deciding how to dispatch a specific invasive species. This calendar can refer you to the best time to treat, best chemicals to use, and best method to dispatch invasives by their species.
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Indiana Terrestrial Plant Rule
This is a collective list of invasive species that are not allowed to be sold in Indiana. Many invasives have still not made it to this list such as Callery Pear and Burning Bush.
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