CAPS: How You Can Help

Please report any findings of suspected exotic pests (plant diseases, weeds, insects, nematodes and other invertebrate organisms) to the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) representative in your area. Contact us.

For all other plants and insects, call your local County Extension Agent for assistance with routine identification.

Sending Images

When contacting a CAPS representative, you may want to include a digital photo and description of the pest. When emailing us digital images:

• Make sure each image is less than 500 KB.
• Don't send more than two images per email. 
• Let us know how many images you will be sending. 
• Do not send more than six images total. 

Making an Appointment

Sometimes a photograph or phone call is inconclusive and it will be desirable for a CAPS pest survey specialist to visit the property in order to make further identification. Your local pest survey specialist will contact you for directions to your property and arrange a convenient time to meet with you.

Submitting a Sample

In some cases it may be desirable for property owners to collect a sample of the suspected exotic species and send it in for identification. Proper collection and packaging to preserve the sample is of utmost importance. It is also important to provide an accurate written description of where, when, under what circumstances, and on what host the sample was collected. The pest survey specialist can help you with questions and direct you where to send the sample. Please read our Instructions for Mailing a Sample and include a completed Specimen Report Form[ ] with your sample.

Results: What Was It?

Your local CAPS pest survey specialist will let you know approximately how long results will take. A report will usually take a week or two to come back from the scientists, and when it does, the pest survey specialist will contact you.