May 17th, 2011
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Author: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is providing free supplies to volunteers who want to raise beetles this spring that feast on the invasive purple loosestrife.
purple loosestrife
Purple loosestrife is a tall flowering plant found in Europe and Asia that invaded Wisconsin decades ago. The tall, hardy plant proliferates quickly in the state’s wetlands, choking out other plants and degrading habitats, according to the department.
The DNR has identified species of beetles that heartily munch on loosestrife but no other plants. Thus the “Citizen Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Program” is offering free supplies to state residents who wish to raise beetles this spring – and unleash them upon fields of loosestrife come summer.
The invaders multiplied greatly during last year’s wet summer. “We need citizens to help us roll back the gains,” Brock Woods, the DNR’s wetland invasive plant coordinator, said in a statement.
The department is providing free pots, netting and a children’s wading pool to create an artificial “wetland” environment in which to introduce a batch of starter beetles.
Go here for more info.
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