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Beetles
on the Loose!
The Purple Loosestrife Biomonitoring
Control Project
Purple
Loosestrife Project Site Selection Guidelines for
Release of Galerucella Beetles
All
release sites must be accepted into the GROWetlands
Program by the Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration
Program (MWRP). Sites which have the most favorable
combination of criteria will be favored as release
sites and entered into the Program. Nominations of
a release site must first include a completed GROWetlands
Nomination Form. Once the form is received, our
team of Scientists will review the form, and, based
on the evidence, arrange to visit the site for further
determination of eligibility.
Important
Factors:
A number of factors are important in creating the
greatest the potential for successful establishment
of Galerucella against purple loosestrife.
Avoidance of sites with known adverse characteristics
is most critical.
Unacceptable
Conditions:
- Sites
should not be subject to direct disturbances, which
will remove purple loosestrife or kill beetles.
- Sites
which may be developed, mowed, dredged or receive
herbicide applications against purple loosestrife
are not suitable.
- Sites
that will be sprayed with insecticides against adult
mosquitoes are not suitable.
- Sites
with permanent flooding are not suitable. Occasional
flooding, particularly in spring, can be tolerated
by the beetles, but overwintering success will be
enhanced on sites without permanent standing water.
- As
a precaution, sites containing mixtures of purple
loosestrife and the native winged loosestrife,
Lythrum alatum or swamp loosestrife, Decodon
verticillatus, should be avoided. While these
beetles are considered to be host specific and unlikely
to cause serious damage to non-targets, avoiding
opportunities for incidental feeding on related
plants is desirable. Alternative means of purple
loosestrife control should be considered where populations
of these plants occur.
Favorable Conditons/Attributes:
- Sites
should be accessible for release and continued monitoring
of beetles.
- Physical
access (a nearby road or lane) is required to transport
beetles to the site.
- Legal
access (landowner permission) is required for initial
release and subsequent monitoring.
- Sites
should contain at least 500 purple loosestrife plants
in a 100-yard radius.
- Sites
that are open to sunshine and not shaded are more
easily established.
- Releases
in mixed plant communities are encouraged as it
is expected that competition from other plants will
accelerate control.
- Sites
containing other invasive species such as Phragmites
or reed canary grass should receive low priority.
- Establishment
may be more reliable on sites that contain a mixture
of young and old purple loosestrife plants.
Meet
the Guidelines?
Nominate a site for restoration
of native habitat through the introduction of beetles.
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