National Invasive Species Awareness Week is Feb. 23-27; TPWD Urges Texans to Help Prevent Harmful, Non-Native Plants and Wildlife

National Invasive Species Awareness Week is Feb. 23-27; TPWD Urges Texans to Help Prevent Harmful, Non-Native Plants and Wildlife

Feb. 20, 2026

Media Contact: TPWD News, Business Hours, 512-389-8030

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AUSTIN - The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) urges Texans to take steps to help prevent the introduction and spread of harmful non-native, invasive species that negatively impact the state's natural resources and economy. National Invasive Species Awareness Week, slated for Feb. 23 - 27, is an initiative to raise awareness of the threats of invasive species and provide solutions on how to prevent their spread.

"During National Invasive Species Awareness Week, TPWD encourages all Texans to learn more about invasive species," said Monica McGarrity, TPWD Senior Scientist for Aquatic Invasive Species. "Taking time throughout the year to prevent new introductions and curb the spread of these harmful species will help protect our natural resources for the enjoyment of future generations and prevent economic impacts."

Invasive species are non-native to an ecosystem and can cause environmental or economic damage and negatively affect human health and quality of life and agriculture. In addition, invasive species are expensive to control, can be impossible to eradicate once established, and can inflict costly damage to agriculture, fisheries, forests and more. According to recent estimates, these costs total approximately $219 billion across the United States every year. Many invasive species are spread by humans (unintentionally or intentionally), who play an important role in preventing their spread to new areas.

A variety of non-native plants, animals, insects and even diseases can become invasive when they enter a new environment, growing or reproducing rapidly and potentially outcompeting native species, preying on them or degrading their habitat. This allows them to become established, dominant and problematic across large areas, ultimately causing harm. They can be introduced by humans in a variety of ways, including intentional introduction through aquarium dumping, live bait releases or outdoor plantings, or accidentally as "hitchhikers" carried through recreational or other activities.

These risky recreational activities can include hauling firewood long distances for a campfire or moving a boat from one water body to another without properly cleaning, draining and drying it first. Once introduced, invasive species can harm native species and ecosystems, impact recreational activities, damage infrastructure and require costly, long-term management in cases where control is possible.

Clean, Drain and Dry Your Boat and Gear

Boaters are key to keeping zebra mussels, giant salvinia and other aquatic invasive species from being moved and harming more lakes. We ask all boaters to take a few minutes to properly clean, drain and dry their boats and equipment before they leave lakes every time they go boating. Remove plants, mud and debris from the boat and trailer and drain all the water from the boat and gear. Once you get home, open up compartments and allow everything to dry completely.

For more information on how to properly clean, drain and dry boats and equipment, visit the TPWD YouTube channel for a short instructional video. If you have stored your boat on the water at a lake with zebra mussels, it is likely infested and at high risk for spreading this invasive species. Before moving it to another lake, call TPWD at (512) 389-4848 for guidance on required decontamination.

Use Your Bait Where You Catch It / Never Dump Your Bait

Many people don't realize the potential impact that releasing live bait can have on aquatic life. Bait bucket introductions - anglers dumping live bait into a water body other than the one where it was caught - are an easy way we can unintentionally spread aquatic invasives. These can include both non-native bait fish and microscopic organisms such as zebra mussel larvae in the water. Even fish native to one part of Texas, like sheepshead minnows and Gulf killifish native to coastal areas, can become invasive in other parts of the state such as upstream rivers and lakes.

Just remember this: Don't dump leftover bait in the water at the end of a fishing trip and don't take live-caught bait (or any bait that's touched lake water) to another lake to use. Instead, take your bait home to use on a future fishing trip at that same lake, offer it to another angler to use or place it in the trash. If fishing on the coast, only native Gulf shrimp-specifically brown, white, or pink shrimp-are permitted for use as bait.

For more information, check out this TPWD magazine article.

Learn more about aquatic invasive species on the Stop Invasives page of the TPWD website.

Don't Carry Hitchhikers

You could be carrying invasive species with you when you're enjoying the outdoors and not even know it. Insects and plants, including plant seeds, can hitch a ride on your clothes, shoes, gear or even your firewood. You can help stop the spread by removing plants, animals and mud from clothes, boots, gear, pets and vehicles (including ATVs), cleaning your gear before entering and leaving recreation sites, using only local firewood and simply staying on designated roads and trails. Learn more on the Play, Clean, Go website.

Be Alert!

TPWD also encourages the public to use the Texas Invaders app or website to report sightings of invasive species, whether in your backyard or in wild spaces. Texans can learn how to identify invasive species on the Texas Invasives website.