Beetle
Ranching 2012
To
be a Beetle Rancher, your yard should receive a lot of
sunlight for most of the day, and have space for a kiddie pool
and access to an adjacent garden hose. Beetle Ranchers
also must be available to care for beetle nurseries and
participate in project activities from March through
mid-August.
Activity
Timeline
April
14 and April 22:
Help harvest Purple loosestrife rootballs at a
selected wetland site, pot them, and bring them and associated
project equipment home. Then, begin to care for the rootballs!
Remember
to poke holes mid-way up the edges of the pool. Then, place
the pool in a very sunny area of your yard, and place the
potted rootballs in the pool. Fill the pool part-way with
water.
If
you cannot participate in a rootball harvest, you can pick-up
rootballs from the NepRWA office and bring them and
associated project equipment home.
May:
Help repair nets that will contain the “seed
beetles” on each potted plant. To help repair nets, contact
Carly: rocklen@neponset.org,
781-575-0354 x303.
Early
May:
When your potted plants have grown to 12-16" high, pinch
off the top, young cluster of leaves on each stem to
encourage the plants to grow into a bushy shape (as opposed to
tall and lanky). Either burn the removed plant matter or put
it in a sealed black plastic bag in the sun to dry out. Then,
place the sealed plastic bag-with-dead-cuttings in the
garbage.
June 13:
Help divide beetles into containers.
June
13 or 14:
Pick-up 1 container of beetles & a net, stakes, and zip
tie -- for each of your pots, from the NepRWA
office, when your potted plants have grown to about 18".
At
home, place at least 2 stakes in each pot.
Then,
check each net for holes. If you find a hole, place a small
strip of duct tape on either side of the hole, to prevent any
beetles from escaping or from sticking to the tape adhesive.
In place of duct tape, you can sew the hole shut, or
safety-pin it.
Cover
each plant and its stakes with a net, and close the top end of
the net with a zip tie (important: Make sure to leave enough
net free to secure it just under the lip of the pot).
Insert
1 vial of beetles into each netted plant. Then, quickly close
the bottom of each net, knotting the draw-string.
Over
time, maintain water in the kiddie pool and make sure that the
netting stays tightly fastened around the pots.
If
at any time your insects have devoured your potted plants,
leaving no greenery, contact project managers Ale or Carly.
April-July:
Care for potted Purple loosestrife plants at home.
Place the pool in a spot that receives sun all day long,
and keep the water at a regular level inside
the pool to simulate a wetland environment.
June:
Help
with site monitoring.
Contact
Carly
at
781-575-0354 x303 to learn more.
July
or August:
Beetle release! Bring your netted, beetle-laden plants
out to a specified field site. We'll work with you to
release your beetles.
September:
Help
with site monitoring.
Contact
Carly
at
781-575-0354 x303 to learn more.
November:
Retrieve
pots from field sites.
Help retrieve plant pots from our beetle release sites.
Contact
Carly
at
781-575-0354 x303 to learn more. Dates TBA.
Learn
more about the Neponset
Purple loosestrife biological control project.
Completed
Activities
January
- March.
Sign-up to be a Beetle Rancher or a general project
volunteer.
March
17 or 24:
Attend a volunteer training session. Learn about Purple
loosestrife; Galerucella beetles as biological control;
the wetland restoration project; and beetle ranching.
