UCONN IPM: Integrated Pest Management:Biocontrol of Purple Loosestife:Volunteer Beetle Farmers:BeetleFarmer news

BEETLEMANIA IS HERE!

BEETLE FARMER NEWS!
Jsnuary 2009

January 28, 2009

To Purple Loosestrife Beetle Farmers and others with interest in purple loosestrife management:

2009 marks the sixth year of the Connecticut Beetle Farmer program to conduct biological control for the non-native, invasive plant purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria). Through the dedication of many Beetle Farmer volunteers, we have collectively released more than 1.5 million beneficial beetles (Galerucella spp.) into Connecticut wetlands since the statewide biological control program began in 1996. This is a remarkable undertaking, and I am deeply grateful for your interest and participation. During 2008 we began collecting GPS location data at many of the biological control release sites. We are currently processing the data, with a goal of creating an interactive map of release sites in Connecticut that will be available on the web.

Since 1995, the Purple Loosestrife Biological Program has been supported by several sponsors, including the University of Connecticut, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Cornell University. Program support has provided us with resources to rear and release the beetles, monitor wetlands where releases occurred, and conduct educational outreach for invasive plants and biological control. During 2009, program objectives and resources will focus on the development of an online Purple Loosestrife Biological Control User's Guide. The User's Guide will be posted on the Purple Loosestrife Biological Control Beetle Farmer website, which you can link to from the University of Connecticut Integrated Pest Management website at www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm (click on the box with the beetle and purple loosestrife). We hope to have the User's Guide available by the end of the year.

While there will not be any Beetle Farmer Workshops conducted in Connecticut in 2009, there are numerous training tools available on the Beetle Farmer website for anyone who would like to participate in the program. Educational materials include a PowerPoint presentation that was used for the 2008 Beetle Farmer training workshops, a video on rearing and releasing the beetles, distribution maps, and much more.

This BEETLE-L list serve is the primary way that we communicate information back and forth about the Beetle Farmer program and share other related information. If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to the list serve, please have them send me their email address and I will sign them up. Conversely, if you no longer wish to be subscribed to the list serve, let me know and I will remove your name from the list.

I look forward to hearing from you this year, and I hope that those of you who are Beetle Farmers will continue to visit your release sites and report back to me with updates. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments.

Best Regards,

Donna Ellis, Senior Extension Educator

Co-Chair, Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG)

University of Connecticut

Department of Plant Science

1390 Storrs Road, Unit 4163

Storrs, CT 06269-4163

Phone (860) 486-6448

FAX (860) 486-0534

Email: donna.ellis@uconn.edu

UConn Integrated Pest Management: www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm

CT Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG): www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg

Beetles Help To Eradicate Purple Loosestrife -
Republican American, Inc. news story published April 22, 2008.

Some of you may have seen Alderman Ken Hughes from Derby, one of our Beetle Farmers, interviewed on WTNH News Channel 8 on Tuesday this week. Here’s a link to the story, and also to the video.

Beetle battle in Derby
http://www.WTNH.com/Global/story.asp?s=6583910

Thank you, Ken!

Best Regards,

Donna Ellis
Extension Educator and Co-Chair,
Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG)

Please see the forwarded email and the link below from one of our Beetle Farmers, Ken Hughes, who reports that the Galerucella beetles are doing well following a 2006 release along the Naugatuck River in Derby.

The Hartford Courant ran a story on Beetle Farming in their Sunday, May 13edition. The reporter, Max Bakke, attended the Beetle Farmer Workshop in Storrs in April and also interviewed some of the Beetle Farmer volunteers.

I have received additional communications from Beetle Farmers in Norwalk, Vernon, and West Hartford that the beetles released in previous years have overwintered successfully and are actively feeding on purple loosestrife plants.

Great job everyone - thanks!

Regards,

Donna

Donna R. Ellis
Extension Educator and Co-Chair,
Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG)

Original Message
From: Ken Hughes
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007
To: Ellis, Donna
Hi Donna. Just an update. I visited the site along the Naugatuck River in Derby where I released the beetles last year, and saw feed damage on the plants. I counted 150 beetles in about an area 4' by 15'.

This area most recently flooded (about 5' under water) with the nor'easter and I was a bit concerned about the beetles, but they made it.

You can read a brief update here:

http://electronicvalley.org/derby/2006/PurpleLoosestrife.htm

Ken Hughes

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