- Because of zebra mussels, pollution levels in the Great Lakes have been steadily DECREASING over the past decade or so. Native fish populations are steadily rising because of them. Turns out the little fellas are terrific at filtering out toxins. - Fire ants? Seriously? Sorry, there are no reports of any fire ants eating cattle, cats, dogs or tiny children. If any of that nonsense were true, no baby in a car seat would survive more than fifteen minutes anywhere in the South. I can tell you that those bite sting like billy-o and when you do get into a fight with fire ants, the best thing to do is head for a nice soapy shower. - I don't see any mention of purple loosestrife anywhere in the article or here, and yet it's one of the nastiest invasives there is. It was imported by moronic flower gardeners because of it's flowers and has gone to work destroying marshlands, ponds, and creeks, choking out native species of plants and animals and creating deserts where nothing else can grow.