Oobius agrili, parasitic wasp, introduced to Ontario to fight emerald ash borer

These types of programs always work out so well. Just ask the people on Guam about the Brown Tree Snakes or the Aussies about their cane toad influx.

Like the children's song about the old lady who swallowed a fly.

Asian carp was also introduced on purpose. I suppose next we'll be introducing flesh eating piranhas to eat the carp.

Was in Guam in 2002 and the tree snakes were all over the place.

Was in Guam in 2002 and the tree snakes were all over the place.

Yup and the problem is that they're poisonous which means everyone is walking around on egg shells all the time. All the PMQ's and base have snake traps located all along the fence lines with live mice in them. The military brats who move there have to take snake safety courses in school and learn how to avoid run in's with the little darlings.

Not a good way to live but on the plus side their rat population is nearing Alberta's levels. Although, other than the fact that there are no good beaches, the island is a giant jungle overrun with things that'll kill you and the city or what there is of it is full of Japanese tourists, it's not a bad place.

Was in Guam in 2002 and the tree snakes were all over the place.

Yup and the problem is that they're poisonous which means everyone is walking around on egg shells all the time. All the PMQ's and base have snake traps located all along the fence lines with live mice in them. The military brats who move there have to take snake safety courses in school and learn how to avoid run in's with the little darlings.

Not a good way to live but on the plus side their rat population is nearing Alberta's levels. Although, other than the fact that there are no good beaches, the island is a giant jungle overrun with things that'll kill you and the city or what there is of it is full of Japanese tourists, it's not a bad place.
There were a couple decent beaches, you just had to watch out for tiger sharks.

And the drop off. Guam is a little like a mountain and when you step off the ledge it's along way down and combined with the currents it makes swimming extremely dangerous. When we were there in 99 a US Navy Officer went swimming and got out past the ledge. I seriously doubt they ever found her despite an extensive search. Although like you say the sharks probably appreciated the free meal.

Too frikken late for us. We lost twelve mature ash trees last fall and suddenly, the cool canopy overhead ... ain't.

meh....lived in Taiwan, worked in Somalia for a few years, and have visited Australia.....plenty of nasty critters in those places that can kill you but never had a run in despite wandering around the bush and swimming. Chinese drivers and local Somali malcontents were a bigger threat. Hell, running into bears and wolves while on walks isn't that exceptional here.

It won't surprise me at all that some time in the future we will be reading about how this wasp will be doing some kind of damage to another natural species. It always seems like a good idea at the time but...

. . .what could possibly go wrong?

On the walks I take in some nature preserves, I'm already starting to see invasive species all over the place. Whenever we do something contrary to Nature to fight something we did to Nature, we end up screwing it up worse than the first screw up.

Which leaves me with feint hope for the coming climate situation.

The ultimate invasive species is us. The others just tag along.

Good point.

It reminds me of a comment made by the late Robin Williams in one of his on-stage performances where he is talking about the results of pollution on the environment and he said "It makes you wonder if God is looking down and saying 'I gave you a nice planet and you f*cked it up'"