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Invasive Species

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Giant Joro Spiders With 4-Inch-Long Legs Headed To NJ, Pest Control Company Previously Warned Giant Joro Spiders With 4-Inch-Long Legs Headed To NJ, Pest Control Company Previously Warned
Giant Joro Spiders With 4-Inch-Long Legs Headed To NJ, Pest Control Company Previously Warned Large yellow-and-gray spiders with 4-inch-long legs that can fly through the air are heading to the Northeast and could show up this summer, according to multiple reports. Sightings of the Trichonephila clavata species known as "Joro spiders" have already been reported in 10 Eastern states, CBS News says. A New Jersey pest control company in January had warned that this might happen. 4NJ Pest, based in Flanders, said the spiders act as "pest controllers" in their natural habitats, however, their introduction to not-native species could be detrimental to the balance of local ecosystems.…

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by Joe Lombardi
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NJ Waging War Against Spotted Lanternflies — With Cash NJ Waging War Against Spotted Lanternflies — With Cash
NJ Waging War Against Spotted Lanternflies — With Cash Communities across New Jersey can get help from the state to squash the invasive spotted lanternfly. The state's agriculture department says counties can apply for up to $50,000 to battle spotted lanternflies from 2024 to 2026. Municipalities can receive up to $20,000. Counties and municipalities can be paid back for chemical treatment activities to kill the invasive insects. Spotted lanternflies don't harm humans or animals but can hurt about 70 types of trees and plants. The agriculture department says many local governments took advantage of this grant program in 2023. “The expand…

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by Chris Spiker
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Video Captures Spotted Lanternflies Swarming Jersey City Building Video Captures Spotted Lanternflies Swarming Jersey City Building
Video Captures Spotted Lanternflies Swarming Jersey City Building Spotted lanternflies seem to be more prevalent than ever this year in New Jersey.  One Jersey City resident captured the invasive species swarming a Jersey City building, and he fears they could harm the newly-planted trees in a nearby park. "Tens of thousands are on the west side of 333 Grand. They look like they crash into the glass on the upper floors and fall to the sidewalk," Marc Wesson writes in the video.  "We sprayed them with agriculture grade vinegar, and killed most of them. My concern is that they are only a block away from the park, and that kind of infestation woul…

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by Cecilia Levine
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STOP WORRYING: ‘Murder' Hornets Aren’t Coming, Experts Say STOP WORRYING: ‘Murder' Hornets Aren’t Coming, Experts Say
Stop Worrying: ‘Murder' Hornets Aren’t Coming, Experts Say Fearmongering warnings of a pending "murder hornet" invasion are creating unnecessary worry, experts in the field said. There are no confirmed reports of the large pest’s presence anywhere else in North America but in Washington State and British Columbia – and those were from last year, said Professor Dina M. Fonseca, director of the Center for Vector Biology in the Department of Entomology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers-New Brunswick. The Asian giant hornet (vespa mandarinia) "has not yet been detected this spring and we do not expect them on the East C…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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Vicious Giant Hornets With Venomous Sting Spotted For First Time In US Vicious Giant Hornets With Venomous Sting Spotted For First Time In US
Vicious Giant Hornets With Venomous Sting Spotted For First Time In US As if a global pandemic and worldwide economic crisis aren't enough to occupy us, there's now news of the arrival of a vicious, freakish-looking hornet with a venomous sting in the United States for the first time. Asian giant hornets can use shark-fin shaped appendages to destroy a beehive, decapitating its victims in a matter of minutes. “It’s a shockingly large hornet,” said Todd Murray, Washington State University's Extension entomologist and invasive species specialist. “It’s a health hazard, and more importantly, a significant predator of honey bees.” That's especially concerning sin…

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by Joe Lombardi