The Chinook Applied Research Association is bringing in Canada thistle stem mining weevils this fall.
Each patch of Canada thistle needs a tray of weevils and there are 100 weevils in a tray. The insects overwinter in soil and leaf litter, emerge in spring to feed on thistles, and then lay eggs. After hatching, the larva tunnel down the stem, which kills the weed.
The association has seen significant impacts since it first began releasing weevils a decade ago in three districts, says an article in a recent Foothills Forage & Grazing Association newsletter.
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To order trays, contact Karin Roen 403-664-3777 or [email protected].
