It’s probably fair to say the Brazilian peppertrees are one of the most disliked invasive species here in Florida. They’ve filled more than 700-thousand acres of land in the state, including in the Everglades. And, if you’ve ever had one on your property you know: they’re really hard to control.
Now, a research effort that’s been 15 years in the making is about to become a reality. Researchers have been studying a tiny insect called a thrips that feeds on Brazilian peppers back in Brazil – they’re one of the main reasons they’re not out of control there. The idea is to release them into our ecosystem in order to slow down, and even halt, their spread here. We're joined by Dr. Greg Wheeler, he’s a research entomologist with the US Department of Agriculture at the Invasive Plant Research Laboratory in Davie Florida, to learn more.
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