What bugs/diseases/critters have ya'll seen that weren't around 30-40 years ago?

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

When I was growing up around here we never saw skunks, coyotes, ground hawgs, armadillo, fire ants, even deer. In the mid 70's the state released I think it was 75 dakota whitetails in our area. First one I saw about 76 laying dead in the road, evidently they forgot to tell the deer cars would be around...

Fire ants, never saw them until 2000 ish.

Skunks started seeing them dead in nearby areas about 10 yrs go.

Ground hawgs started showing up about 30 yrs ago.

Coyotes maybe 20 yrs ago.

Armadillo's grandson saw the first one about 2 yrs or so ago.

Wildlife folks say these critters have migrated here. Seems mighty strange to me that as many years as has been around , they never "migrated" here before. I practically lived in the woods growing up. I read tracks, looked for sign, did some trapping, notta...

Fire ant debacle came from potted plants imported in.

Ain't gonna mention all the yankees that have been self importing in.

Has this happened in your area?

 

[Jstpssng]

Possum.
Turkeys. (Reintroduced about 30 years ago, I saw my first in 2000.)
Emerald Ash Borer.
Asian Longhorned Beetle.
Spotted Lanternfly.

 

[Torvy]

Mostly they are moving back. We used to just shoot all of the varmints. Shoot too many coyotes and the smaller critters explode. We shot the wolves, so the deer population exploded.

We have had some black bear sightings not far from here. Apparently, they are moving back this way.

The fire ants are all over here. Those invasive critters that get here from negligence. Similar to the problem in FL with tropical reptiles, monkeys and such.

 

[EscapedSuburbia]

We built in a semi rural area 30+ years ago and always had deer, coyotes, and foxes. Development has overtaken us so those are gone and replaced with loose pet dogs and cats. The one positive is a huge increase in raptors. Hawk and Bald Eagle populations have exploded in the past 15 years. I don't know if the driver for this is changes in pesticides or something else.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I had forgotten about wild turkeys. THose weren't around here when I was young there was a relocation effort of those too in the 80's and 90's.

They say lantern flies are near here, just haven't see any yet. Hopefully not either...

I did see some blackbear tracks when I was a teenager in the muddy section of a field.

 

[caver]

Two friends I've known since my youth have Alpha Gal Syndrome. Never heard of Autism back then, now it seems rampant.

 

[Torvy]

Two friends I've known since my youth have Alpha Gal Syndrome. Never heard of Autism back then, now it seems rampant.

There is an increasing need for people to be able to label their quirks so they can blame their behavior on a syndrome rather than just accept that is who they are.

 

[EscapedSuburbia]

There is an increasing need for people to be able to label their quirks so they can blame their behavior on a syndrome rather than just accept that is who they are.

On another site a manager was complaining about an employee who quit because he wasn't being treated respectfully and fairly. People piled on saying the employee must be on the autism spectrum because focus on fairness is a symptom of autism. Really? Everyone I know expects to be treated fairly. But I guess everything needs a label.

 

[BigGG]

Most of the above, but the most recent change I've seen is the invasion of black vultures. Until maybe 10 years ago, we always saw turkey buzzards devouring the road kill. The first black ones I saw, I thought were immature turkey buzzards. Now, I rarely see a turkey buzzard, but the black ones are everywhere.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Most of the above, but the most recent change I've seen is the invasion of black vultures. Until maybe 10 years ago, we always saw turkey buzzards devouring the road kill. The first black ones I saw, I thought were immature turkey buzzards. Now, I rarely see a turkey buzzard, but the black ones are everywhere.

I have always called the black buzzards the carolina condor.