Who Brought These Nuisance Pests To The United States?

America. How lucky we are to call this remarkable country home. Our ancestors came to the United States for many reasons, and people from other countries still dream of immigrating here. Those old clichés still ring true. Land of opportunity. Land of the free. Home of the brave. Unfortunately, nuisance pests love America too.

Nuisance animals are a problem no matter what part of the United States you live in and are often accompanied by costly damage, illness, contamination, fear, and stress. We have countless pests in Ventura and Los Angeles counties; however, you might be surprised to learn that some are not native to our country. Some came here by accident, some on purpose, and some even had help from humans. So, who are some of these invaders, and how did they get here?

Squirrels

Although squirrels are native to North America, they were uncommon until the early 1800s, when people started importing them. Why? Because they were cute, charming animals that people believed would enhance our outdoor spaces and further our appreciation of wildlife. We even thought they would make good pets, so we spent the better part of a century trying to domesticate them like cats and dogs. But in the end, we failed. We eventually realized that squirrels were far from harmless. Today, we know them for the destructive, disease-spreading rodents they are, but too late.

Nutria

Nutrias are large, semi-aquatic rodents that damage water systems, crops, structures, foundations, roads, etc. They also threaten our health with diseases like tularemia. They are not native, nor did they merely wander into the U.S. People deliberately brought them here in the 1800s to farm them for their fur. Did we love those nutria fur coats? Yes, and people still make things with their incredibly soft fur. But we fatefully overestimated our ability to contain these clever animals. Many escaped into the wild, and the fur traders trying to raise them ultimately gave up and released them. You can now find nutria causing trouble from coast to coast.

Emerald Ash Borer Beetles

Emerald Ash Borers cause devastating damage to ash trees. This insect has killed tens of millions of North American trees, including tens of thousands in California alone. We didn’t bring them here from Asia on purpose; instead, their larva hitched a ride in shipping containers and untreated lumber. Some of our most problematic nuisance pests are hitchhikers.

Wild Pigs

Pigs are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, but it’s not hard to figure out how these dangerous animals ended up in the United States. They’re delicious. The first civilization to enjoy bacon was likely the Chinese circa 1500 B.C.E., although ancient Romans loved pork, too. Hernando de Soto is credited with bringing the swine to North America in the 1500s. Russian wild boar were introduced in the 1900s as an animal to be sports hunted. There is a certain risk when you bring a non-native animal into a new environment as a food source, and feral pigs are an example of that. It was not hard for them to escape into the wild, and they are now thriving in the “wilds” of our residential neighborhoods. In California, 56 of our 58 counties have wild pigs.

Starlings

Sometimes, we import nuisance animals for reasons that are harder to fathom—for example, starlings. The common starling is a destructive bird that swarms in large numbers and has even been known to cause plane crashes. They came from Europe originally, and you can thank none other than William Shakespeare for it, albeit indirectly. The Bard mentioned them in Henry IV, and a superfan named Eugene Schieffelin decided it would be a good idea to release 100 of them in New York’s Central Park. By the 1940s, they had spread across the entire country. Schieffelin is also responsible for introducing the house sparrow in the U.S.

Carp

Occasionally we import animals to perform a specific job, and it backfires. Such was the case with various species of carp (such as the Grass Carp, a particular menace in California) that were introduced to help, not hinder us. Carp was great at controlling vegetative growth in waterways where needed but a little too great. They devour so much and have so few natural enemies that they easily take over and wipe out other native species.

Pythons And Other Exotic Pets

Exotic pets have long contributed to our nation’s nuisance pest problem. It’s tempting to bring in an exotic animal as a pet, but many people soon discover that caring for it is too difficult. Those animals frequently escape or are released and often find a way to survive. That’s why we have snakes, monkeys, and big cats (among other animals) here that don’t belong.

A Native Solution To Nuisance Pest Problems

If you’ve been experiencing a pest problem, whether a local nuisance or a foreign marauder, you have a native solution at your service. In Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, there is no better choice than 101 Gopher & Pest Control, the area’s top-rated nuisance pest specialist. Contact us today and let us know how we can assist you.