Posted on 07/30/2011 2:40:04 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Sacramento, Calif. (AP) -- California officials have released thousands of insects in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta to combat an invasive weed that has clogged the waterway.
The state Department of Food and Agriculture let more than 5,000 water hyacinth plant hoppers go at several locations in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties this month.
Officials hope the insects, which are native to South America, will establish self-sustaining colonies and begin chomping down on water hyacinth. The invasive plant forms a dense carpet on the surface of waterways, impeding boat access and clogging water intake systems.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Bringing in one invasive species to kill off another often doesn’t work.
Nutrias (think ‘large water rats’)were brought into the US southern states to eat water hyanciths years ago. It didn’t work and the nutrias stayed, creating holes in irrigation dykes for their nests.
Kudzu was brought in to stop erosion. It now covers the south in a strangling green blanket that nothing can stop apparently.
I read where Texas A&M is studying a plan to kill off fire ants by bringing in from S. America the only species of insect that is their natural enemy—a gnat that bites them behind the head and sucks out their brains. What could possibly go wrong? Gig ‘em Aggies!
And then the CDC will tell everyone they need to get an annual vaccination against slightly venomous rake snakebites.
Grape leaves. They LOVE grape leaves. Signal this the end of California wine.
This never works as planned. Never. I just hope the unintentional consequences are not horrible.
Doesn't Bela Pelosi own some CA vineyards?
Interesting!
I have caught catfish everything from fish guts to wild strawberry’s LoL
I'm afraid so. Look at how they tried to control Yellowstone. Or how they said we had to control saving the forests by using plastic bags, and now those same plastic bags are the big villains to the environment.
Reducing the acid level seems to give the chemical process a chance to work.
Recall how sauerkraut is made: A large crockery jar is filled with green cabbage and water and sealed from the air. Add salt to make it more “sauer” but the cabbage ferments to kraut.
Wonderful stuff but stay up wind from it making.
Just looked it up. Dry them first, then mix them in soil or other compost.
Can be mixed with silage for pig & cattle feed.
Remember his/her/their name. There should be consequences for mistakes. At minimum, he should have to explain himself if it doesn’t go well.
Accountability!
Also, I am not suggesting violence. A good public verbal ripping in the press should do it. Discredit the bum.
These gnats attack humans and suck their brains out! But don’t worry, these victims survive quite well, they’re debating on C-Spam right now.
Take heart!
The man who whipped the Medfly around 1980 is back at the helm,
and is on track to replicate his massive success some 30 years later.
With wild strawberries you could catch old goat granny’s also...:O)
it was awful hard to use them for bait
LOL its kinda hard to also get that fish hook out of your mouth.......:O)
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