Welcome to the Pest Threats Web Site

This site offers photographic keys to help diagnose and identify exotic pest and disease problems that are a threat to the United States. Some of the pests and disease may be present in limited areas of the country but are in danger of spreading to other parts of the United States and North America.

The objective of this web site is to increase the diagnostic skills of green industry professionals, Cooperative Extension personnel including Master Gardeners, government personnel, and citizens to improve their abilities as first detectors – people able to recognize exotic invasive pests of urban and ornamental plant systems that represent potential threats to our Homeland Security. This web site provides “one stop shopping” for information on the identification, biology, and management of exotic pest threats to the U.S., and how to report a potential exotic pest citing.

At this web site you will find:

• Pest Threats Fact Sheets – brief summary with basic biology and diagnostic information on individual pest threats.
• Pest Threats Bulletins – extensive compilation of details on individual pest threats.
• Diagnostic Keys – dichotomous pictorial keys to assist in the diagnosis and/or confirmation of pest threat identification.
• Links to other sources of information on exotic pest threats.

Directions for the diagnostic portion:

• From the menu on the left, select a category or type of plant and the part of the plant that is having problems.
• A new page will be displayed with symptoms and possible causes with photos.
• Browse the causes for each symptom and click on go to select that cause.
• From there simply read the information, on the problem and solution, that appears.
• You can go to another plant part by selecting from the menu at the top of the page.

Development of this site was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).