Whitehall Biological Weed Control Project: Fun in the Sun

Our crew is working hard and having fun in the HOT sun! Insects are best collected in the hot afternoon, when they are up on the tops of the plants rather than hiding at the base, as they do when it is cool. We have just finished collecting and releasing leafy spurge insects in the Missoula and Grass Range areas.

It is gratifying to see how quickly these insects are killing much of the spurge. In southwest Montana, it is becoming hard to find places with extensive, remaining leafy spurge patches that can support collectible insect bioagent numbers. Nearly every place we monitor already has ins...