Invasive Pest Outreach in Kentucky

Early detection of invasive pests is critical to maintain the health of forest and landscape plants and public outreach is one of our best tools to achieve that goal. This project aims to increase public understanding, acceptance and support of early detection, eradication or control of invasive pests in Kentucky, particularly emerald ash borer (EAB), Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), imported fire ants (IFA), hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), walnut twig beetle (WTB)/thousand cankers disease (TCD), gypsy moth, spotted lanternfly, goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), giant African land snails, and other pests of concern to federal, state and public constituencies. This project is a public awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness that invasive pests pose a threat to the state’s forests as well as the urban and rural environment and the state’s economy. Our goal is to increase the likelihood that the public will look for and report invasive pests since early detection is critical for possible eradication efforts.