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Michigan's Invasive Species Community

Acquiring Garucella Beetles


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Hello everyone,

The CAKE CISMA has spent an extensive amount of time surveying purple loosestrife along the Elk River Chain of Lakes this past summer. As we look to next year for potential treatment, we are contemplating using garucella beetles for the larger, denser stands. I was curious to see 1) any expertise any of you may have using beetles, 2) any successes or failures using beetles, and 3) where you typically order them from. We are hoping to go with the most reliable, cost-effective option out there.

Thanks everyone! 

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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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  • 2 weeks later...

We have used them in the past as well with very similar success. This was before my time as coordinator so I don't have a whole lot of insight to provide to you about the process, but this year we were working with a Lake association who was planning on obtaining them and we were going to get them from Tip of the Mitt. We worked with Caroline Keson on that. Mainly you need to be sure you have a large enough site, Caroline would know the preferred site sizes, if they're too small the beetles will not work very well.

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  • 1 month later...

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