Bug Off!

Purple Loosestrife sure is pretty for being an alien invader.  Unfortunately, it’s not so pretty when it gets out into the wild.  In the 1800s, settlers brought purple loosestrife to North America from Europe.  It was originally used as an ornamental plant for gardens, ponds and wetlands.  But it quickly spread to wet wild areas, forming thick, dense blankets that block food and nesting sites for native wildlife.  Purple loosestrife has invaded all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.

Luckily, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has found a way to help control the spread of this invasive plant, and reduce it where it is already growing.  It’s all thanks to some little bugs called Galerucella beetles. 
The adult beetles, as well as the larvae, eat so much loosestrife leaf tissue, that the plants become unable to produce enough food in their leaves to survive.

Many scouting and school groups, as well as others, are raising Galerucella beetles that will eventually be released into an area that’s been overrun with Purple Loosestrife.

To find out how you can help raise these loosestrife-eating beetles, check out...

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Controlling Purple Loosestrife