07/15/05 Hello bugs, goodbye purple loosestrife

Waterways all over the state have been overrun with purple loosestrife, a non-native noxious weed that has the unattractive nickname of the "Marsh Monster." BATT "One plant an actually produce over a million seeds. And it's estimated in Idaho that it's taken over about 35 thousand plus acres of land. So invasive that it chokes out cattails and other which are usually invasive themselves." That's Roger Batt of the Weed Awareness Campaign. He's encouraging people who have this weed on their property to attend a workshop in Boise on July 21st at the Department of Ag headquarters. Brian Dallolio will be there to show you how to use biological control, two different kinds of bugs, to kill loosestrife. DALLOLIO "They will starve to death rather than eat something else. They are just a predator to loosestrife and loosestrife only and that's why they were approved for release." And do they work? Dallolio went back to some state land which had loosestrife and was being using it as an insectary so they could collect more bugs. DALLILIO "And this year I can find any of our insects because I can't find any loosestrife there. It was a nearly solid stand of loosestrife." Workshop hours are 9 to 3, half of it in the field, half in the classroom. Call Bryan Dallolio at 888-2316 to register and he'll make sure you get lunch too. Today's Idaho Ag News