Katie Grzesiak
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Posts posted by Katie Grzesiak
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ISN has used beetles in multiple projects since 2012, and it's gone really well. Obviously, the beetles don't eradicate loosestrife, so follow-up releases are required after 5 or so years, but it's made marked impacts on large populations (not small/medium ones). There is a fair amount of communication that needs to happen with the public--the beetles take a year or two to get established, and it's not eradication! But dang if they don't help keep things to a dull roar in a nice rollercoaster of population sizes.
ISN has ordered ours through Wildlife and Wetlands Solutions for a very reasonable price (something like $150 for a pot with over 1,000 beetles), but I'm sure there are other sources as well!
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ISN staff are required to have have Core (obviously), Right-of-Way (catchall), Aquatic (Phragmites etc.), and Ornamental (sometimes we treat on private properties in ornamental settings, especially with knotweeds), because that covers about all the work we do. A few staff members also have Forest Pest, mainly because they want to; it may come in handy at some point!
We picked these certs because they seem to fit what we do the best, but also because Core & Right-of-Way were handed down to us by predecessors as the ones we should have. If they had a "miscellaneous invasive plants" category instead, that would be great.
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We have smatterings of it up here, but haven't dealt with it much. I'd assume it would respond well to cut-stump, similar to its cousin burning-bush.
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There are a few variegated phrag stands out there, but this specimen is reed canary grass's horrible alter-ego, ribbon grass
https://www.habitatmatters.org/reed-canary-grass.htmlYou can ID reed canary grass regardless of coloration from the looooong, papery, clasping ligules coming up from where the blade meets the stem.
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Legit started laughing at this one--I never would've expected Persicaria to be a mis-ID either, but WOW it sure is! Thanks for the heads-up.
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We've only seen it in ROWs, but it is sometimes in wet areas, where it could possibly cause harm. I'd be interested if anyone has seen it impacting wetland communities?
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Check out the thread here:
and the compiled resources here:
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Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network (ISN) has been working on this a bit over the past few years, and it's (very unfortunately) fallen on the back burner. We usually start with sharing the DNR Protocols and tips & tricks. Personal experience has taught me that compressed air and a broom works really well... as long as the equipment/debris is dry. We also try to impress on folks that even a little decontamination is better than nothing, so if all they can carry with is a long-handled broom, great! We feel like getting folks started with decontamination is the right place to be; once they're used to doing something, we can up the ante a bit and go for BETTER practices.
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Mints are hard! Check out https://www.michiganflora.net/genus.aspx?id=Mentha for true mints, and https://www.michiganflora.net/family.aspx?id=Lamiaceae for the whole mint family. You can also reach out to your local MSU Extension and/or Master Gardener program for help.
If it does end up being something you want to keep, I'd suggest keeping it in a container to help save your other herbs. Avoid putting clippings in the compost, as this can spread the plant in your garden or in natural areas.
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No DNA tests that I know of in Michigan, but I was very heartened by a study shared at UMISC last year. Presented by John Gaskin (et al.) of the USDA and focusing on knotweed populations in the Pacific Northwest, the nutshell was that managers are pretty darn good at IDing the difference between Japanese, giant, and Bohemian knotweeds. He had folks send in samples and their guesses, and I don't remember the exact error rate, but it was REALLY low, to the point where he joked, "I guess you guys know your stuff!" Other people named in the study included Mark Schwarzlaender (U Idaho), Fritzi Grevstad (Oregon SU), Marijka Haverhals (U Idaho), Rober Bourchier (Ag & AgriFood Canada), and Timothy Miller (Washington SU).
We have mainly Bohemian and giant knotweed (though I expect we'll find that we do have SOME Japanese if we look more closely) here in ISN's area, and we haven't noticed much of a difference in efficacy; they all die well in the first year of treatment (50-90%), then hang on bit by bit for the next few years, like mean jerks. I think this may be very different for the biocontrol study, however.
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Some folks were interested in what to plant after removing garlic mustard, so we put this together. If it helps your landowners, please use it!
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Hello all,
One of our fantastic FAP Foresters (Dr. Josh Shields) did a (very very small) experiment on the efficacy of "over the counter" herbicides on autumn olive cut-stump and basal bark efforts. The results are attached here, but the short version is, some formulations work pretty well! He wants me to note that the sample size is FAR too small to be scientifically significant, but he's chatting with some university friends to see if they'd pick it up into a full-fledged study.
He also notes this is probably fine for small homeowner projects where expertise is low, but that if someone was working with NRCS cost-share or the like, the real-deal BMPs would be the best bet.
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Hi Shelby,
ISN's management is mainly working with Road Commissions to mow when it first starts flowering (now/a week ago) to prevent spreading by seed. That said, in a past life with the Park Service I used the herbicide Plateau (imazapic) to great effect; took a year or two (small patch), but left the grasses alone. It's not aquatic-approved.We use Plateau here at the Boardman River Nature Center to keep spurge out of the gardens, but don't do any larger-scale treatments.
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Depends on the size. We've often used loppers, as the stems aren't that big and we may be working with volunteers. However, for the work I think you're describing (lots and lots), I'd suggest something like a brush saw (though a chainsaw would work). Cuts down (hah) on the bending/kneeling and speeds everything up a lot!
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We prefer to do manual removal or cut-stump over foliar spray. It works great! We use tricolpyr (Garlon). Very close to 100% (if not 100%) mortality. The only thing you have to look out for is the seedlings, particularly ones that come up in subsequent years.
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Manual removal is most effective before it flowers. Asparagus knives (something like this) or other weed forks are really great for getting out the taproot. You can use herbicides too, but get excited about surfactant because it takes a fair amount to penetrate the crazy trichomes/prickles.
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I have used glyphosate in the past, but timing is important--it's most effective in early season, before the 2nd year plants bolt. It's easy to target the flowering adults, but that's not very effective--2nd years I've just cut the seed heads to prevent spread.
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That's what we do too, except we don't even laminate. They don't look great, but we often don't drive around to get them--when they're on private lands, we often request that the landowner grab them after a week or so.
For larger projects, we have "yard signs" that are up during our treatment, and sometimes we leave them up longer. We definitely got back for those, if we leave them up. They don't contain the legal treatment information (we also post those signs), just a general "invasive species management happening, and ISN is doing it" sort of thing to help answer questions about why plants are dying.We'd love to hear if people have thought of better ways!
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We worked with her last year--she's very knowledgeable and communicates well (and factually!) about the science of invasive species, but really grabs people with her art! A joy to work with.
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We leave all Phragmites where it is. In some cases we mow, but the bits are left where they lie (and then we clean machinery!). As you said, the complications (permitting? vectors, etc.) are too great for anything else. Curious what others are up to! Any creative solutions?
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Thanks to John & Shaun for the information! Here are a few more notes I took during our session:
- Let police know what the crew is up to (especially if they're doing driving surveys that might elicit calls!)
- Name badges/shirts/hats can also help ID your crew as professionals
- Be clear with your crew about your CISMA's expectations (herbicide use, professionalism, etc.)
- Be sure to have decontamination kits both for the truck and each person
- Be sure to have water for washing--one huge reservoir or several jugs
- (planned use inspections & pesticide business checklists from MDARD, above)
- Herbicide manufacturers and contractors can be good resources for what herbicides to use
- Importance of communicating with the public during activities (signs, well-trained crew)
- Some questions about permitting can be directed to https://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3313_3681_3710---,00.html
And a possible future action item:
- Discussion of WM CISMA's treatment table--maybe a subcommittee?
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In an effort to not re-create the wheel, here are some of the discussions & resources ISN created during our 2018/19 HWA Prioritization meeting with partners. Feel free to use if it suits you!
HWAPrioritization_agenda_2018.12.19.docx
HWAPrioritization_notes_2018.12.19.docx
HWA Prioritization_2018.12.19.pptx
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This is where the multitude of handouts from the 2018 MISC Annual Meeting treatment discussion/brainstorming session live!
- Herbicide Information chart, courtesy WM CISMA
- Strike team costs estimation worksheet, courtesy WM CISMA
- Strike team startup needs checklist, courtesy WM CISMA
- Knotweed treatment comparison chart (+ sprayer calibration), courtesy SWxSW CISMA
- Mix table example, courtesy ISN
- Emergency Contacts, courtesy ISN
- End-of-week Checklist, courtesy ISN
- Treatment Tracking template, courtesy ISN
- "Truck box" list, courtesy ISN
- Pesticide training agenda, courtesy ISN
Plus, don't forget about the Best Management Practices (BMPs) that MNFI has put together--there are links on michigan.gov/invasives as well as pinned on this Forum. They help with herbicide selection (or other methods).
Finally, the manuals for Pesticide Certification are excellent resources--use them!
Please comment on this thread with additional resources.
JK treatment methods_sprayer calibration (3).pdf
Pesticide Seasonal Training Agenda 5-31-2018.docx
Strike Team Startup Needs.docx
Increased focus on Tree of Heaven with SLF coming?
in Terrestrial Invasive Species
Posted
ISN is hoping to work more with TOH for exactly this reason--our updated prioritization is still in the works, but (spoilers!), TOH has moved up to a higher priority for us. Funding-depending, we're hoping to work with growers of all kinds (especially in an area like ours with lots of fruit trees). I like the idea of the wineries/breweries too!
The biggest challenge we see is actually killing the tree. Literature suggests frill-cuts (instead of cut-stump) is the best treatment, and a lot of the trees we know of in our region are close to structures. Combine that with TOH's already brittle wood, and that could be a yucky situation! We're hoping to partner with and/or train some arborists on treatments.