Not all of the plants and animals we see in Georgia are native. From fire ants to wild horses to invasive plants like privet and kudzu, exotic species can be found throughout our state, and some can cause serious problems for our native wildlife.

On this exciting episode of Georgia Outdoors, we'll take a closer look at some of these creatures beginning with a pesky South American fire ant whose mounds can be found all over the southeast. While these aggressive cousins of wasps and bees can inflict a nasty sting many of us are all too familiar with, we found one community that has found some humor in their widespread infestation. The annual Fire Ant Festival in Ashburn, Georgia attracts thousands of people, and we'll see why.

Also on the program, we'll take an undercover look at what happens when the Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement team breaks up an exotic pet trade operation, and take a look at how some common animals like starlings and Canada geese became permanent Georgia residents.

Finally, we'll show you how to donate the bamboo taking over your yard to Zoo Atlanta's pandas, and Gardening in Georgia host plant guru Walter Reeves will show us how to take care of some English Ivy gone bad. All this more on this episode of Georgia Outdoors!

Related Links

Native Plant Society
Promotes the stewardship and conservation of Georgia's native plants and their habitats.

Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council
The purpose of is to focus attention on the adverse effects exotic pest plants.

Top Ten Exotic Plants
Find out what the top ten exotic plants in Georgia are.

Exotic Species
Keeping exotic species as pets is regulated under Georgia Law.

invasive.org
See pictures of exotic and invasive plants, animals and insects

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