# Flea Beetles/Spurge



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Was checking spurge in the river pasture today and saw the first flea beetles of the year chomping away. Sometime I am going to figure out to post pictures because you wouldn't believe what these little guys do to leafy spurge. The Sheyenne River Valley in Barnes County has about a 99% reduction over a 8 year period. No out of pocket cost-no enviromental damage. And the trees are growing back where the chopper used to spray.


----------



## tsodak (Sep 7, 2002)

It is absolutely amazing isnt it?? For anyone who has never tried to reclaim a pasture infested with the stuff, you can not explain how tough it is. What those little buggers do is nothing short of a miracle. The guy who sheparded those tings from Europe to the states should be crowned a saint, and given the rest of his career off.......


----------



## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

Those flea beetles are amazing. By the way, folks are now working on a weevil as a biological control agent for Canada thistle. I think that there are going to be some releases of the weevils this summer.


----------



## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I live in the spurge capitol and have been fighting spurge since I was 5 years old. The spurge beetles didn't work around here, we had some of the first ones in the state, McHenry County. I don't know why but maybe because our winters are longer and colder up here in the Souris Valley.

There is talk those beetles will migrate into desireable crops also. What is know about this?


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

There a hundreds of species and many look identical except to a trained eye. Spurge beetles are host specific, can only feed on spurge. There are soil types where they don't work, usually sandy or gravel base soils. The spurge has deeper laterial roots in these soils and larva cannot make it down to the laterials. I believe they only migrate 1 1/2" down. The adults fly great distance however. If you put a yellow or white pail of water in the spurge patch, you'll find out the next day if beetles are present.


----------



## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Thanks Dick...we are in sandy soil that is mostly pasture here. Alot of people are a bit skeptical because of the person who brought them to McHenry County, he was a shifty type...the beetles were brought up here probaly 20 years ago already. We use government sheep grazing programs around here these days to combat spurge.


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

This is a massive concentration of black flea beetles on leafy spurge. "Bugs to Go" biocontrol project, Barnes County, ND '96. The feeding by adults weakens the plant but it is the feeding by the larva on the roots and damage to the root sheath that destroys the plant. When the sheath is opened bacteria and fungi destroy the root.

These beetles were netted and moved to other sites. 
[siteimg]3916[/siteimg]

This is a cup drop of beetles 24 hrs after the delivery. The cup was filled 1/3 with course gravel and 1/3 beetles. The gravel would burst the cup on impact, releasing the beeltes. Note beetles feeding and leaf damage in just 24 hrs.
[siteimg]3918[/siteimg]

The biocontrol results of a one bag release of black flea beetles on leafy spurge, one year later. Note dead spurge canes in foreground and spurge in background. The infestion of spurge here was so thick you could hardly walk through it. We dug root samples of spurge that spring that had 100+ larva per foot of root section. They appear as small white maggots apx 1/32" long.
[siteimg]3919[/siteimg]


----------



## always_outdoors (Dec 17, 2002)

Buckseye: Dick is absolutely correct about the soil types and that is probably the biggest reason for their non-existence in McHenry County.

I helped move some up into the hills by Des Lacs and Burlington. They did a good job for a while up there, but havn't heard lately how things have come along.

If you need bugs, call Dick. He helped me bring almost 2 million back to Logan County. Farmers were so happy I almost could have run for the legislature.


----------



## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Wher do you get the beetles? I have some spurge just starting to get a foothold in my pasture


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Are you in Stark County Dak? Stark used to have an excellant insectiary, don't know if it's still good. There is one probably still going at Almont and I think another in the badlands. Call your county weed officer for more info, if he can't help I'll try to get you a name. I shipped some once by Greyhound to Dickinson but survival wasn't real good.


----------



## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Yes. Thanks for the info. :beer:


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

"List Serve" is sponsered by the ND Ag Dept, and is run like the ETREE to get out info on spurge beetle collection days and sites nearest you in ND. You sign up below and the Ag Dept. emails you automatically as the date approaches. No cost.

http://www.agdepartment.com/programs/pl ... serve.html


----------



## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Sweet. Thanks for the link!


----------



## hoagie (Jan 12, 2005)

Dick,

Have you heard of any Bio control for Canada Thistle?


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Yes, but the _approved_ insects don't appear to be working well. Part of the problem is that these insects are introduced here from Europe and native thistles would be controled too. So the good ones are not being released. I know what you're thinking.... :******: Barnes County tried several releases on WPAs but no real results with the species available. Pine Ridge had the same experiance as us and I haven't heard anyplace that had good results. Part of the problem too is that thistle insects are difficult to collect---one at a time.


----------



## hoagie (Jan 12, 2005)

Sounds like good news for the chemical companies. I am going to be spraying Milestone this summer for thistle. Hopefully its as good as it sounds.


----------



## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Hey Dick - I'm interested in the picture of the styrofoam cup. We've been movng beetles around SW of Mandan for the past 20+ years and our spurge is pretty well wiped out. A friend and mysdelf with small airplanes have been flying over there, netting them, then flying back to his place on the east side of the Missouri, landing then driving out and releasing them. 
My question - did you somehow "bomb" spurge infested areas by plane, or would that work? On impact would the dirt open the cup? Could be fun, sort of like a flour bombing contest!


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

pm sent


----------

