USDA is announcing that this national outreach month is dedicated to highlighting the impact of invasive plant pests and diseases on plants nationwide.
The focus is on raising public awareness about the threat and how residents can help.
Each year, invasive insects and plant diseases cause an estimated $40 billion in damages to plants in our nation.
Non-native plant pests can hitchhike in untreated firewood, attach themselves to cars, boats, and other outdoor surfaces or take a ride in the mail.
They can travel to new areas on agricultural material such as soil, seeds, homegrown produce, and plants.
Invasive pests have few or no natural predators in their new environments, so their populations quickly outpace native species and spread.
