Buglife News: Extreme weather is opening the floodgates to nature invaders in the UK ( www.buglife.org.uk )

As Invasive Non-Native Species Week (20th – 26th May) gets underway nature groups including The Rivers Trust, Plantlife, and Buglife are calling for Government action to stop a flood of new nature invaders arriving and spreading in the UK due to more extreme weather.

With the last 18 months being the wettest period in England since records began in 1836, experts are warning of a potential surge in the impacts of invasive species which are known to thrive in wet conditions. These include known problem species that are already established in the UK but which grow and/or spread quickly in wet weather, such as: Japanese Knotweed (which can cause structural damage), Giant Hogweed (with sap that can cause burns to skin) and Himalayan Balsam (which outcompetes native species and can cause riverbank damage and river-clogging causing higher flood-risk).

More extreme and frequent flooding from climate change also puts the UK at higher risk of some future nature invaders causing economic damage, harm to people, and declines in already struggling native species. The Red Imported Fire Ant (first discovered in Europe last year) has been spotted spreading in floodwater by joining together to create a raft. These ants carry a venomous sting and can cause structural damage from their nests. A warming climate is making European urban centres more susceptible to this species. The Golden Apple Snail is another species where flooding is a key path for their spread.