Purple Weed vs. Beetle

hondo77 writes "How do you deal with an invasive, non-native plant? With a non-native beetle. This AP article talks about the non-native purple loosestrife weed, which arrived in North America in the late 1800s, and how it has been choking out indigenous native plans. After a study at Cornell, the Galerucella beetle was introduced in 2000 as part of a pilot program in Massachusetts to keep the weed under control. 'From what we know, there's no downside.'"

Comments

Cane Toad...

[advocate_one]

They did this same thing some time ago in Australia and it was a disaster...

"The South American cane toad, Bufo marinus, was introduced to Australia as a biological control for the cane beetle, which destroys millions of dollars sugar cane each year. This was an environmental disaster. First, the toad never developed a taste for cane beetles, but instead slaked its prodigious appetite with all manner of endemic fauna. Second, the toad has two poison sacs behind its head, and its toxins are not restricted solely to these glands, making it poisonous fare for Australian wildlife during every stage of its lifecycle."

Wooly Bears

[tid242]

is what we called them, although i don't believe them to be, in fact, bears.

i thought there was also some deal where the size of their red stripe (or black stripe?) dictates how shitty the winter is going to be (i live in Minnesota) the following year, although i am unsure if this claim is scientifically rigorous, or just a rumour.

-tid242