There are lots of different kinds of invasive species that Michigan residents should know about -- and some might surprise you.
Which ones might surprise you? Well, that depends on how much you know about invasive species. For me, the most surprising one was the worm. I didn’t know invasive worms were a thing until I started digging into Michigan’s invasive species list in 2022.
The state’s website has nine types of invasive species and the list includes birds, crustaceans, diseases, fish, insects, mammals, mollusks, plants, and the invasive jumping worm. Not every species on the list has been detected in Michigan, but officials are concerned enough that they want the public to at least be aware of them.
There are some you might recognize right away, like the mute swan. Did you know they were invasive? They have an established population in Michigan and are known as being one of the world’s most aggressive waterfowl species.
The invasive insects are the ones that bug me the most. Bug me. Get it? I’ve got jokes. You’ll definitely recognize the brown marmorated stink bug. That invasive insect can usually be spotted inside your home when the seasons are changing (either coming in to hide for the winter or waking up for the spring). One of our newest invasive insects is the spotted lanternfly.
I haven’t personally seen a spotted lanternfly, but when I do you know I will be squishing it -- as is my civic duty. They don’t have an established population in Michigan, and hopefully, if we work together we can prevent that from happening.
In this article, we’ll go over the list of invasive critters Michigan wants you to know about. Just check out the links to learn more about each type.
Michigan’s invasive birds
Michigan has two invasive birds, the mute swan, and the Eurasian collared dove.
One of them is described as “one of the world’s most aggressive waterfowl species” -- I’ll give you a hint, it’s not the dove.
Mute swans were brought to Michigan more than 100 years ago, escaped captivity, and have been wreaking havoc ever since. The Eurasian collared dove is considered a pest in agricultural areas, but at least they’re not attacking boaters every year.
---> Learn more: Meet Michigan’s two invasive birds: The aggressive mute swan and the Eurasian collared dove
Michigan’s invasive crustaceans
There are six crustaceans on Michigan’s list of invasive species that you should know about.
One of them is particularly interesting because it wasn’t prohibited in Michigan until 2020. The marbled crayfish hasn’t been detected in Michigan yet, but originated in the pet trade industry. They aren’t native anywhere and they can reproduce by cloning themselves.
---> Learn more: Michigan has 6 invasive crustaceans to watch out for: Here’s what they are and the threat they pose
Michigan’s invasive diseases
There are five invasive diseases that Michigan residents should be aware of and keep an eye out for.
These species have the potential to harm Michigan’s natural resources. Four of them have been detected in the state and the fifth one is just one you should know the symptoms of.
Beech bark disease and beech leaf disease both target species of beech trees. There have already been 2.5 million beech trees killed by beech bark disease so far. The other diseases are boxwood blirhgt, oak wilt and thousand cankers disease.
Thousand cankers disease causes the death of black walnut trees. It has not yet been located in Michigan, but it is on the state’s watch list.
---> Learn more: These are the 5 invasive diseases Michigan residents should know about
Michigan’s invasive fish
There are 17 species of invasive fish that Michigan officials are monitoring.
Six of the species have established populations in Michigan or in the Great Lakes. Those species are the Eurasian ruffe, round goby, rudd, sea lamprey, tench, and tubenose goby. Two of the species have been detected in Michigan or the Great Lakes. Those species are the grass carp and the Japanese/oriental weatherfish.
Nine of the species on Michigan’s list of invasive fish have not been detected in the state or in the Great Lakes. Those species are bitterling, bighead carp, black carp, silver carp, ide, northern snakehead, stone moroko, wels catfish, and zander.
---> Learn more: Meet the 17 invasive fish Michigan residents should know about
Michigan’s invasive insects
There are 10 insects on Michigan’s invasive species list, and they can cause varying levels of damage across the state.
If you believe you have found one of these invasive insects, you can report it through the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network. Just click here and search for the insect.
---> Learn more: Here are Michigan’s 10 invasive insects and the damage they can cause
Michigan’s invasive mammals
There are two mammals on Michigan’s list of invasive species to watch out for.
The first one is a large, destructive rodent that has not yet been found in Michigan -- Nutria.
The second is the aggressive wild boar, which has been prohibited in Michigan since 2012.
---> Learn more: Let’s talk about Michigan’s 2 invasive mammals: A large, destructive rodent and aggressive wild boars
Michigan’s invasive mollusks
Michigan has 11 invasive mollusks that the state wants people to watch out for. The one you might recognize the most easily is the zebra mussel. The zebra mussel lives in freshwater lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. It requires hard substrates to latch onto. They are filter feeders that consume algae and phytoplankton in the water.
Both the zebra mussel and the similar-looking quagga mussel have established populations in Michigan. The New Zealand mudsnail, heath snail, carthusian snail, Asian clam, have been detected in Michigan. The giant African snail, and brown garden snail, do not have established populations in Michigan.
The wrinkled dune snail, golden mussel, and girdled snail have not been detected in Michigan.
---> Learn more: Learn more about Michigan’s invasive mollusks here
Michigan’s invasive plants
There are six variations of invasive plants that Michigan wants residents to know about. The types include aquatic plants, grasses, herbs, shrubs, trees, and vines.
There are 22 invasive aquatic plants Michigan officials want residents to be aware of. A particular one you should know is cylindro, a species of blue-green algae that can be toxic to humans and is especially dangerous for dogs because they are more likely to swallow the water.
---> Learn more: Let’s talk about Michigan’s invasive aquatic plants: How to identify them and the dangers they pose
There are three invasive grasses and six invasive vines that Michigan residents should be aware of. Pale Swallow-wort and Black Swallow-wort, also known as dog-strangling vine, have both been detected in Michigan. These perennial vines can grow up to seven feet in length and the roots are toxic to mammals. The plants are toxic to many insect larvae, including monarch caterpillars.
The Kudzo is another interesting vine that has been detected in Michigan. The roots can grow six feet long and can weigh up to 400 pounds. The vines can extend 32 to 100 feet and tends to smother and shade out native plants.
---> Learn more: Here are the invasive grasses and vines Michigan residents should know about
There are nine invasive herbs that Michigan officials want residents to be aware of.
You’ve probably heard about giant hogweed as it poses a public health hazard that ranks higher than poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac in its potential to harm humans. The sap from the giant hogweed can cause a severe skin reaction known as photo-dermatitis.
---> Learn more: Let’s talk about Michigan’s invasive herbs: How to identify them and the threat they pose
There are two invasive trees and seven invasive shrubs that Michigan officials want residents to be aware of.
The black locust tree was planted throughout the Midwest for erosion control, fence posts and fixing nitrogen in the soil but its leaves, stems, bark and seeds are toxic to horses.
Most of the shrubs are a concern because they will outcompete native plants for resources. Below I’ll go over the trees and shrubs that Michigan has listed online, how to identify them and what threat they pose to you or the ecosystem.
---> Learn more: Let’s talk about Michigan’s invasive trees and shrubs: How to identify them and the threat they pose
Michigan’s invasive worm
Jumping worms look similar to earthworms but can easily be identified because of the way they thrash around.
The worms have been detected in Michigan and pose a threat to the ecosystem because of the amount of leaf litter they consume.
They were first recorded in 2008 in Oakland County and officials suspect they could be widespread throughout the lower peninsula.
They can reproduce without a mate and eat large amounts of leaf litter, destroying the important organic layer while out-competing native species.
When they eat organic matter, they also change the composition of the soil which can make it less hospitable to natural fungi, bacteria, and plant growth. It can impact the native plant growth in forests and harm ornamental plants and turf in lawns and gardens.
---> Learn more: What to know about invasive jumping worms in Michigan
More coverage on Michigan’s invasive species can be found on the Invasive Michigan page. Information from the state of Michigan on how to identify and report invasive species can be found at michigan.gov/invasives/id-report.
How to report a sighting
Invasive species that have been detected in Michigan can be reported using the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) online reporting tool or the MISIN smartphone app. They can also be reported to the Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area for your region or your local conservation district.
If you think you’ve seen a species on Michigan’s watch list (invasive species that haven’t been confirmed in the state) you should report them as soon as possible using the information on the species’ profile page. That list can be found here: michigan.gov/invasives/id-report/watchlist.