The Aliens are already living among us and there are many more on the way! These aliens are not from another galaxy, not from another solar system, not even from another planet. They are already here, living among us, and they are coming to a backyard near YOU!

When they arrive in a new location they attack the native, indigenous species, both plant and animal, and sometimes completely displace the native occupants.

They come in many different forms. Some are insect like creatures with bulbous eyes and antennae, external skeletal armor, and powerful weapons just as you would expect from an alien life form. They are highly adaptable to new environments and some thrive in their new surroundings.

Some are botanical in nature, but with animal like features, they probe with tentacle like leaders, swaying with the breeze, and when they find an object, they wrap the tentacles around it with a strangling grip, then continue to grow and probe, until they seize the entire area from the native population.

The saddest cut of all, is that they have been aided in this conquest by willing human agents who did not understand the consequences of their misguided actions!

These alien pests are known by a variety of names, including:
1. Non Indigenous Species
2. Non Native Species
3. Invasive Species
4. Exotic Invasives
5. Prohibited Exotic Species
6. Noxious Weeds

Probably the most damaging vine in the Non Native classification is Kudzu. This oriental plant has some amazing qualities. When the ends of the vines are elongating, it will sway until it touches a weed, or a tree branch, and immediately wrap itself around it's victim. It can, on hot summer days, grow as you watch it. Just don't stand there too long!

Kudzu was originally brought to the United States as a medicinal herb and as a foraging plant for livestock. It was often seen as the solution for erosion problems in the South Eastern United States, until it turned on us. Now it is eating up thousands of acres of pasture and forest. It can, as I said in the introduction, actually grow visibly as you watch. It is difficult to kill, and likely, impossible to eradicate. We will have to learn to co-exist.

Kudzu is only one of a multitude of alien pests already here or headed toward us. What can we do? Well, first arm yourself, with information. Learn about the problems we already have, and how to avoid introducing any new ones. Develop a healthy distrust of any friendly hitchhiking vines or other plants you might meet. For more information, go to your states Parks and Wildlife Department website, to see what's on your "Most Unwanted" list, or you can start at Alien Pest Either way, become informed, and become involved. It is important to our environment!

Stay tuned to this news source, for our sequel about exotic aquatic alien pest invaders, coming soon to a landscape near you!

HOME >Alien Pests Exotic Aquatic Biofuels IPM IPM: Starting Environmental Motivation New IPM Model New IPM Part 2 Alien VS. Alien Site Map  Alien Predator In Texas Milk For Alcohol?  Global Or Normal Warming Copyright (C) 2007 James Burns  Note: The material on these pages is original content except where noted otherwise. This is the contents point of origin. Some of this content can also be found on blogs, and is published though ezines and various other media on the internet and in print, where it is on loan from the author.