Multiple Agencies and Industry Partners Protect Michigan From Invasive Pests

In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development

Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis. Photo credit: Stephen Ausmus/USDA ARS

Thousands of people work to protect Michigan from invaders so small they’re barely visible: invasive plant pests. “The impact of invasive species is huge,” says Michael Philip, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. 

Philip notes invasive agricultural pests can mean more pesticide use and higher costs for farmers. Invasive horticultural pests can limit markets for Michigan’s floriculture production, which ranks No. 3 nationally. Invasive forest pests can reduce timber quality and quantity, as well as harm native ecosystems irreparably. 

MDARD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are the primary agencies tasked with preventing invasive plant species from entering Michigan. 

CBP’s Detroit Field Office – which covers the Detroit Metropolitan Airport and the border ports of Detroit, Port Huron and Sault Ste. Marie – inspected more than 3 million cargo containers in the 2019 fiscal year, according to Robyn Cotting, supervisory agriculture specialist for the Port of Detroit. 

“All four of these locations are staffed with agriculture specialists who are tasked with keeping our ag safe by inspecting passengers, conveyances and cargo for agricultural pest risks,” Cotting says.

Inspect, Detect, Respond

These agencies work to protect Michigan on multiple fronts: prevention via inspections and quarantines, early detection and response, and education and outreach. 

For example, CBP’s Detroit Field Office conducts outreach programs on appropriate cargo packing materials. 

“Solid wood packing materials that are not treated properly can bring in wood-boring pests,” Cotting says. “We intercept wood packing with live insects monthly if not weekly.” 

The emerald ash borer, first identified in North America near Detroit in 2002, is suspected to have been introduced from overseas in shipping materials. Philip calls the emerald ash borer “probably the most significant exotic forest pest ever to invade the continent,” noting several species of ash tree – once one of the most common tree species in Michigan – have nearly disappeared from the wild. 

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Both Philip and Cotting say the Asian longhorned beetle could pose a broad problem in Michigan, as the forest pest can affect several host species of trees. 

Potato cyst nematodes, already found in several locations in the U.S. and Canada, could impact production and market access for Michigan-grown potatoes, another top crop. 

Inspection, detection and response result in success. For example, Philip notes a specific strain of Ralstonia solanacearum was found and eradicated from Michigan and the U.S. in 2003 and 2020. This plant pathogen causes bacterial wilt in a wide range of plants, including potatoes, tomatoes and other crops. 

“It spreads on geraniums, and with Michigan being a large geranium producer, it is always a species of concern,” Philip says.

Sniffing Out Potential Problems

Cotting says the Detroit Field Office intercepted more than 2,000 foreign pests in the 2019 fiscal year. 

“These intercepts include insects, federal noxious weeds, snails, and any foreign plant or animal pest,” she says. 

At Detroit Metropolitan Airport, four Beagle Brigades teams of CBP agriculture specialists (the beagles’ handlers) and highly trained dogs sniff out harmful pests in passenger luggage and carry-on items arriving on international flights. Beagles’ superior sense of smell and friendly nature help the canines detect potentially harmful pests without disturbing passengers. 

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Human or canine, those working with and alongside state and federal agencies help prevent invasive species from entering Michigan. Philip says educating the public and plant industries on what pests to look for is also critical to success. 

“We respond to hundreds of reports of pests of concern every year,” he says, noting only a very small number turn out to be problematic. “Nevertheless, the public and people working in the plant industries are our best first detectors.”