RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) – A tiny beetle can help control infestations of the invasive plant Purple Loosestrife.
Cathy Higley is a conservation specialist working for Vilas County. “The beetles actually eat the leaves and they stress the plant out. They lay their eggs on the leaves, and they can reproduce pretty quickly. Once you have a few generations of beetles gnawing on a plant, it gets pretty stressed out.”
These colonies of beetles work hard to eat and destroy patches of the invasive plant called purple loosestrife. The nuisance plant can hurt ecosystems, dominating areas near water.
Higley and Rob Campion bent over leafy plants at Riverside Park in Eagle River recently, collecting the special beetles in empty soda bottles. They then take the beetles to a volunteer’s house, where the volunteer will watch over them as they reproduce in special cages. Then, they’ll set the army of beetles loose on a patch of purple loosestrife near the Deerskin River.
The beetles can hurt the invasive plant population without any pulling, cutting, or chemical use.
“Last year, we saw some really good progress, where we had some really stressed-out plants. They were withered and dying.” And in the invasive plant world, withered and dying is good news.
