A nuisance species, in ecological and environmental science contexts, refers to a taxon (native or non-native) whose population density, behavior, or spatial distribution causes persistent, undesirable interference with human activities, infrastructure, or ecosystem management objectives without necessarily meeting criteria for invasive status. These species can disrupt fisheries, agriculture, recreation, or water management; alter habitat quality; or increase operational costs for monitoring and control. Scientifically, the concept is management-oriented rather than taxonomic, emphasizing thresholds of impact, risk assessment, and cost–benefit analyses of control strategies, often integrating population ecology, disturbance regimes, and human–wildlife conflict frameworks.
You stand in the driveway and stomp your foot like a petulant 3-year-old, not once but twice in vain pursuit of an elusive Asian insect, then look up and see hundreds of its kin stand proboscis-deep in tree bark, seemingly ...
Ecology
Aug 18, 2025
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30
A team of researchers led by CABI have identified 9,071 pest species previously unreported in Uganda which pose potential concern in terms of possible threats to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers as well as food security ...
Ecology
Aug 13, 2025
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31
It's that time of year. The buzz of mosquitoes is in the air, and people wonder, "Where are these bloodsuckers coming from?"
Ecology
Jul 28, 2025
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24
In the middle of summer, garden vegetables like green beans are proliferating, but so are pests that like to chew and suck on them. Now, a study in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests growing bush basil ...
Agriculture
Jul 25, 2025
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54
Anyone who has walked through a barn or cattle pasture in the summer knows that flies are a nuisance and even a health hazard. Face flies can spread diseases like pink eye to cattle, and horn flies—biting flies that live ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 22, 2025
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57
Ecosystems are characterized by interconnected structure and functions. A study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Casey Benkwitt at Lancaster University, United Kingdom and colleagues suggests that restoring ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 8, 2025
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46
A striking, silver-colored fish commonly kept as an aquarium pet has been hiding in plain sight in the Philippines' largest freshwater lake, renewing concerns over the unmonitored and unmitigated release of alien species ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 1, 2025
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97
Researchers and Extension entomology specialists across the South work together to develop control strategies for pests such as ticks, mosquitoes, bed bugs and more. This includes fire ants, which are known for their unsightly ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 27, 2025
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187
Under what conditions would it be right—or is it never acceptable—to eliminate a harmful species from our planet? That's what an international team of researchers, including Professor of Philosophy Dr. Clare Palmer from Texas ...
Ecology
Jun 11, 2025
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