Invasive Species of Florida

 

 

Florida is a beautiful state. With it’s endless beaches, blue/green waters, expansive woodlands, breath taking sunsets and a climate that is near perfect 365 days a year, is it any wonder that people flock here? But the annual influx of snowbirds is not the invasive species I will discuss here. Snowbirds are a positive invader of our state. The invasive species I’m referring to are the ones that threaten to destroy our wildlife, waterways and entire ecosystem.

Invasive species, what are they? They are any plant, animal, fish, or insect, that has been introduced to an ecosystem, whether this is done by accident or on purpose, that is a non-native species.

The problem with introducing a non-native species to an ecosystem is that there are no natural predators to keep them in check. Predators help keep a natural balance to the ecosystem, without natural predators the invasive species take over and can even put some native species on the endangered species list, as is the case with the everglades bunny. The Burmese python has eaten so many of these bunnies that it is on the brink of being on the endangered species list.

Florida has more than 500 non-native species of plants and animals, including;

·         Fire ants

·         Lionfish

·         Brazilian peppertree

·         Monk parakeet

·         Iguanas

·         Wild Boar

And so many more including a “colony of vervet monkeys, living In the Fort Lauderdale area.” www.sun-sentinal.com These monkeys carry numerous diseases including Herpes B.

Before we take a look at the afore mentioned invasive species, how did they get into the Florida environment? Some escape zoos during hurricanes, others are brought in on ships at port and still others are exotic pets released by unthinking people.

The first invasive species I’ll take a look at, is one that people run into everyday, The Red Imported Fire Ant. If you aren’t from the south you might not know the painful sting of the fire ant, but if you are vacationing down here and unknowingly step in a fire ant mound, you will soon find out. The swarm of ants that come out will number in the hundreds and all will sting you as many times as they can. When they sting, the fire ant injects a toxic venom into the area. The sting will leave a painful and itchy wound, that gets a puss-filled head. These stings have been known to kill animals and cause people to go into anaphylactic shock and even death.

Where did these ants come from and how did they infest the South Eastern United States? Fire ants arrived at a port in Mobile, Alabama in the 1930’s. The average fire ant mound is eight to twelve inches around, but I have personally seen a few mounds longer than three feet and over a foot tall. In his pamphlet “Invasive insects of Florida” Roy F. Morris II tells us that since their arrival in the United States, there are five times more red imported fire ants here than in their native home of South America.

Fire ant raft

Fire ants have mutable queen colonies. Each queen can produce more than 1,600 eggs a day and can live for seven years. Most of the time you will find these colonies in in dry open areas, but they can be in the thickest part of your Floratam lawn. 250,000 ants can be in each colony and during a flood, so the colony survives the ants band together and create a living raft. 

You can see why these invasive ants can be so troublesome. The red imported fire ant is here to stay.  So, what can we do to protect ourselves, and our property? In my experience the best thing to do is hire a reputable pest control company in your area. If you attempt to treat these ants yourself, read the label on what ever product you choose. If you use too much of the product it won’t work and it’s detrimental to the environment.

So, when you vacation in the sunbelt, watch your step.

Under the beautiful waters surrounding Florida, there are numerous game fish, bright lively coral reefs and the devastating lionfish.

While there are many invasive species of fish in our waters, the Lionfish is one bad hombre. No one knows for sure how these attritive and destructive fish were introduced to the Florida waters, but they were first reported in 1985 near Dania Beach on the east coast. www.myfwc.com Lionfish grow up to 18 inches length with the average size between 12 and 15 inches.

Lionfish are pleasing to the eye. With its red, brown and white stripes and its long flowing dorsal and pectoral fins the lionfish is a beautiful fish. Beauty can be dangerous. These pretty fins are preceded by 13 spines with “…glandular tissues that are located in the grove of the spine.” When the spine enters the skin it injects venom into its victim. “…it really is not nice to be stung by a lionfish…my colleagues that get stung…were in agony.” www.lionfish-hunting.com

One of the reasons these fish are becoming such an overwhelming problem, is because the females can release 12-15,000 eggs and in Florida’s warm water they can spawn every four days. www.myfwc.com

Lionfish hail from the Indian and South Pacific oceans and are wreaking havoc on our coral reefs. These fish eat everything in their stolen habitat. “A single lionfish is capable of counsuming 80 percent of young reef fish.” www.plantingpeace.org Many of these fish are cleaner fish and these fish help keep the reef alive by controlling the coral reef’s algae. This lets enough sunlight through keeping the plant and marine life healthy.

What can we do to control this invasive species? For starters if we catch one on rod and reel, do not put it back and report it to your local warden service. There are no bag or size limits and no closed season on lion fish. There are permits required in no take zones of the keys. These permits are provided by the Reef Environment Education Fund. www.mywc.com There are many organized dives to collect these fish and  lionfish are very good eating. They have a higher concentrate of the beneficial fatty acid Omega-3 than other fish.

As with most invasive species lionfish provide no ecological or economic benefit to the state of Florida and we need to eradicate them from our waters.

There are many invasive plants in Florida least of which is the Brazilian Pepper Tree. No matter where you look in Florida you will see a pepper tree. Some people trim them back for a hedge but most just try to keep them from encroaching on their property and taking over. That’s what the pepper tree does. It takes over.

A bee spreading pollen from a pepper tree

With its red berries and bright green leaves it is an attractive plant. The problem starts when it gets out of hand. Brazilian pepper trees can grow to thirty feet and live for decades. As it grows the canopy grows so thick it blocks any sunlight from getting through and that kills the native plants in the area. Pepper trees also makes a poor habitat for most of Florida’s native wildlife.

The Brazilian pepper tree was first introduced as an ornamental plant in the 1840’s from South America. www.insasivespecies.com Needless to say the plant has flourished. It is Florida’s most widespread “…non native invasive plant species occupying more than 700,00 acres.” www.myfwc.com

What are the best methods of controlling the Brazilian pepper tree? According to www.patch.com the best way to get rid of pepper trees is to dig it out by the roots, but you must get every root. Another method is to cut the stump as close to the ground as you can than chemically treat it. Now the hard part begins. As you remove the tree cuttings you must make sure that every berry gets gathered up. These berries will start new trees wherever they are dropped. They are spread by the wind, the pollinators and by the birds that eat them. I’m afraid that the Brazilian pepper tree is here to stay.

The bright blue skies of Florida are filled with all kinds of birds. Many of which migrate with the seasons, so how can birds really be an invasive species? I give you the Monk Parakeet. The monk parakeet is another import from South America. The parakeet has been brought in by “…the thousands for the pet trade.” www.digitalcommons.unl.edu They have been  established in Florida since the 1960’s.

What harm can this cute little green bird cause? First let’s consider where they build their nests. They like to nest near electric poles and transformers. In 2001 South Florida had 198 power failures because of parakeets, this generated $221,000 in damages. www.invasive-species.wikia.com The Monk parakeet is also a great threat to crops, feeding on nuts, fruits and vegetables. They are also very aggressive birds, divebombing people and killing other birds.

How can we control the monk parakeet? That is a question that no one really has an answer to.

Florida has it share of invasive reptiles. Let’s take a look at the iguana. There are three species of this invasive reptile in Florida, the Green, Mexican Spiny-tailed and the Black Spiny-tailed, along with many other lizards that are misidentified by people. www.edis.afis.edu.com

These iguanas are just a few of the invasive reptiles that people have introduced into our fragile ecosystem. Why on earth people think its okay to release exotic pets into the environment is beyond me. It’s not only against the law It’s down-right irresponsible.

I’ve seen iguanas as large as four feet, sunning themselves on sidewalks and roads, in parks and most recently, on the top rail of my backyard fence. While iguanas aren’t really dangerous unless its cornered, they can inflict a painful bite to humans and their pets. More often, a startled iguana will run or jump into the water.

Boca Grande is a resort island where the average price of a home is 2.5 million dollars and you can get a nice condo for the low price of $500,000. Boca Grande is a place where former President George Bush and many entertainers have homes. It is also home to “the worlds greatest tarpon fishing” as well as thousands of iguanas.

Samantha Russing is contracted by Charlotte county and is the person responsible for the removal of iguanas on the charlotte county half of the island. “Russing uses a 22-caliber gun to shoot the iguanas.” www.bocabeacon.com when you visit Boca Grande, whether you visit for the great fishing, the amazing beaches or to see the historical light house, chances are you will see an iguana.

Photo Credit T. Wright

Iguanas are herbivores and love hibiscuses flowers which causes trouble in the immaculately landscaped homes of some Florida neighborhoods. They also burrow into the ground, which is not only a nuisance for the home owner, it also can be dangerous for not only our older population but anyone who may step into the hole and break an ankle or worse.

So what can be done about the iguana problem in Florida? We saw how Charlotte county on Boca Grande is handling it, but I wouldn’t recommend discharging a fire arm in a residential neighborhood. First don’t feed them. Dispose of food properly. If one iguana finds a food source than word gets out and you will have many more iguanas in your yard. If you do see an iguana in your yard call animal control or your local pest control professional. They can trap it and safely remove it.

The Florida wood and wetlands are home to many invasive animals. The most prolfic of these is the wild pig, with over 500,000 animals roaming the state. www.edis.lfas.edu.com according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commissions Technical Advisory Group the wild boar is the most dangerous invasive animal. “Hands down the wild hog out exceeded any other exotic in all classifications, way over pythons.” www.dadecitywildthings,com

Where did these hogs come from and when did they fist appear on our landscape? Surprisingly, we have the Spanish explorer Hernando Desoto to thank. In 1539 he landed near Tampa Bay with an estimated 300 of these animals. www.gameandfish.com With 300 hogs turning into 500,000, no wonder he has two counties named after him.

So why are pigs such a problem anyway? Isn’t that just more bacon? If you have ever seen a yard, wooded area, of a golf course rutted up because wild pigs were looking for food than you would know. Wild hogs cause 1.5 billion dollars in damage nation wide to lawns, crops, woodlands and golf courses annually.    

Wild boars can breed all year long in Florida’s warm climate, with the fall and spring being the peak times of the year. Females have two litters a year consisting of 5-7 piglets. Someday these piglets may grow to weigh up to 500 pounds with six inch tusks. 

With their only predators being large alligators and the way, the pigs compete with native species for food, what can we do? Using “…toxicants and propellants have been suggested as a viable means of controlling the…population.”  www.edis.lfas.ufl.com There are no toxicants registered in The United States that will work effectively. Which is probably a good thing. Because than we would be dealing with the transfer of poisons from the dead hog to whatever eats it. Perhaps, a Florida Panther or an American Bald Eagle. 

photo credit Nan Kelly

In my opinion the best ways are hunting and trapping. On private lands there is no size, bag limit or license needed and no closed season, but always make sure that you get the land owners permission firsthand. On public lands, in some areas you may need a license or tag and there may be a closed season. Check with your local F.W.C.

Wild hogs are great table fare. I know of churches and civic organizations that hunt or trap the pigs and use them as the main course for fairs and fund raisers.

There are so many more invasive species in Florida than what I’ve discussed here and I’m sure, with time there will be more. Whether these invasives were introduced accidently or if man in all his wisdom tells himself “This iguana is too big for the house, so I’ll just let him hang around the back yard.” They all have one thing in common. They all have a negative impact on Florida’s fragile ecosystem. But what can we do? As a people we need to adopt logical management practices, including hunting, trapping, prevention and real education. We as Floridians need to do this. The government has been “trying” for decades, we as a people can’t rely on the government. It doesn’t matter who is in charge, they have all failed Florida in this respect.

Change starts with you, and me!