Environment Blog

Life is a Highway - For Invasive Pests!

Why do we all need to help protect the environment from invasive pests?

Why do we all need to help protect the environment from invasive pests? Minnesota's global economy has opened a virtual "freeway" for harmful plant, agricultural pests and invasive species to enter the state. With more than 400 million tons of goods moving through the state each year, invasive species find it easy to enter our borders. Species arrive as stowaways aboard airplanes and ships, others escape from captivity, and others come as hitchhikers on people, produce, nursery stock and livestock.

Invasive species are plants, animals or diseases that are non-native to the ecosystem. To define it further, they an invasive because they cause (or are likely to cause) economic or environmental harm, or even harm to human health. In the next post, we'll see how we can all help to minimize the negative impact of these pests.