Before And After Photos

1. Before And After Photos

2. Oberea – spurge root boring beetle • adults: late May – July • rapidly disperse by flying • lay eggs on large spurge stems • larvae bore down stem to root • over winter in root as larvae • pupate early spring • nice combo w/ flea beetles • sweep net • hand pick from net.

3. Oberea Collections

4. Make sure you have the proper release sites selected BEFORE you collect!

5. -Too new, not available from us yet -ask County and/or purchase. Mecinus janthinus– toadflax stem boring weevil

6. over winter as adults in stem • emerge May • lay eggs on stems • larvae bore stems • pupate in stem • strong flyer, disperses well • collect in spring by shaking weevils off stems into buckets Mecinus janthinus

7. Use newspaper articles,phone calls and word of mouth to find suitable sites • Have list of potential release sites and landowners • Weed present • Must fit the insects ecological needs • Must fit land owners needs • Fit w/in spacing of your plan • Guaranteed undisturbed for 5, preferably 10 years • Contiguous to other weed patches so bioagent can spread • Easy to access for monitoring and future collections • Will not flood. Release Site Location

9. Store and Transport • Store insects in refrigerator or cooler with ice pack. KEEP FROM FREEZING! • Transport in cooler with ice pack separated from insect container by paper/packing material • Moths: last 1-3 days • Beetles tougher!: last 3-7 days.

10. Release & Redistribute -collect some in your net, drive a ways and flip the net out the window. -dump the insects out of the container and onto the weeds.

11. Clip board, forms, GPS unit, camera, flags or stakes • Be with land owner if possible! • Find best spot for insects & land owner…Think a decade out • Take the time to completely fill out form - on site! • Make concise map from known point of origin • GPS and photograph • Keep “T” and “E” data in several spots • Release insects, don’t drive/walk over them • Wish them luck!!! :^) Release Site

12. Release Site Views (8)

13. Monitor yearly if possible • Monitor when bioagent is out as adult (or can find in stem/root) • Find site and sweep net through the area • Take follow up photos if change in weed density • Be prepared for bursts of usable insects! Monitoring

14. What Monitoring Has Found • Aphthona (leafy spurge flea beetle) sites. • Oberea (leafy spruge stem/root boring beetle). • Larinus minutus (spotted knapweed seed head weevil).

15. Contact Land Owners: • Each year call every land owner and ask them what they want us to do: nothing, monitor, redistribute, augment and/or public collection day • Great way to educate about IPM! • Land Owners come to expect this service • Good PR for County, School and all weed fighters • Find useful bursts of insects!

16. Found well established 2001 – knapweed seed heads • Not sure how it got there… • Collected 7,640 in summer ’02 • Up to 31K in ’04, now do less because well established… Larinus minutus

17. Bangasternus fausti • Chaetorellia acrolophi • Larinus obtusis • Metzneria paucipunctella------------------------------- • Pelochrista medullana (no photo) • Pterolonche inspersa----- • Sphenoptera jugoslavica • Terellia virens • Urophora affinis • Urophora quadrifasciata Other Knapweed Bio-Agents

18. Released 9 pair in cage early 1990’s – spurge root borer • 2000 = 250, 2001 = 500, including public net day • 2002 = 1,567, + another public net day, ’03 = 3,000, ’04 = 2,700, ‘05 = 2,500, ’06 = 492. ’07 = 1,312 • Established all over our area. We collect for requests. Oberea erythrocephala

19. Number & label sites • GPS coordinate units: long-lat. or UTM’s • Crew can practice doing geocaching • Mapping program: ArcMap, All Topo, etc. • Mesh with county, local agencies and State • One of these may do mapping for you! (student class?) • One person in charge • Keep T/E data in several spots • Make usable to YOU, then others!! • Landowner data is PRIVATE! [bug rustlers…] Mapping

20. Mapping

21. Mapping

22. GPS Map & Monitor all Release Sites • Keep T-data and E-data, in 3 places! • Use All Topo Maps and ArcView • Helps plan and prioritize releases • Helps us find useful bursts of insects for collection and net days • Students can use in classes • looks cool!

23. Land owners have “ownership” • Great education opportunity • PR Value! Bio-Agent Collection (Net) Days

24. Tours, Workshops, Summer Class • Weekly Summer Newspaper Articles – Use mtwow.org web site • Build Cooperative Relationships.

25. How to write yourself and your students a great summer job! • Keep It Simple! NWTF, NRCS, Conservation Districts • Cooperate with County Weed District & School • Contact BLM, FS, State, Extension Service, Conservation District, Water Shed Council, local industry, local landowners, 4-H/FFA, and your students.

26. Bio-agent Collection • Insect Storage/Transport • Release Site Location • Release/Augmentation • Monitoring/Mapping • Landowner Relations • Public Collection Days Conclusion:

27. Vision: Similar programs in every county involving every school! • We will be glad to help! • How-to info. on mtwow.org web site • Email: tbreit@whitehallmt.org, ph: 498-5236 • Summer class and tours any time!

28. Questions? • Photos credited on the mtwow.org web site. Many by: • Bob Richard, Rich Hansen – USDA-APHIS-PPQ • Whitehall High School Students • Todd Breitenfeldt & • Many others!!! Thanks :^)