Store and Transport

1
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.

2
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.
3
Release Site

• Clip board, forms, GPS unit, camera, flags or
  stakes
• Be with land owner if possible!
• Find best spot for insects land ownerThink 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, dont drive/walk over them
• Wish them luck!!! )

4
Release Site Views (8)
5
Monitoring

• 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!

6
What Monitoring Has Found

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

7
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!

8
Larinus minutus

• 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

9
Other Knapweed Bio-Agents

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

10
Oberea erythrocephala

• Released 9 pair in cage early 1990s 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.

11
Mapping

• Number label sites
• GPS coordinate units long-lat. or UTMs
• 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

12
Mapping
13
Mapping
14
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!

15
Bio-Agent Collection (Net) Days

• Land owners have ownership
• Great education opportunity
• PR Value!

16

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

17
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.

18
Conclusion

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

19
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_at_whitehallmt.org, ph 498-5236
• Summer class and tours any time!

20
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 )