We've had a couple of really successful ones, although most of them have had only a limited impact. But the tradescantia is completely genetically uniform - it grows only from fragments not seed, so there was always a good chance that if we found something that ate it, we could get good control.
Great piece Melanie. Reminded me of the late 1980s or possibly it was early 1990s when I was present at the release of a parasitic wasp aimed at controlling introduced German wasps in the top of the South Island's beech forests. The parasitic wasp was a natural enemy of German wasps in Europe so hopes were high. The Conservation Minister of the day went full media on it. But it's turned out, I assume, to have been another failed experiment given how bad wasps still were on my last visit. Do you know if there's ever been follow up work on the parasite and how well it took hold?
Japanese knotweed is an troublesome invasive plant in the UK. There has been an investigation into whether or not to introduce a Japanese insect and a fungus that attack knotweed and nothing else. I don't know how this went. Standard advice still seem to be killing it with glyphosate. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7cded040f0b6629523c4d6/scho0209bphy-e-e.pdf
I haven't been able to find anything about these having much impact yet. The insect is being introduced in Europe and the US, but too soon to know if it will do anything. Here's hoping it does make a difference
Fascinating, Melanie. Good to hear of examples where it has worked!
We've had a couple of really successful ones, although most of them have had only a limited impact. But the tradescantia is completely genetically uniform - it grows only from fragments not seed, so there was always a good chance that if we found something that ate it, we could get good control.
Great piece Melanie. Reminded me of the late 1980s or possibly it was early 1990s when I was present at the release of a parasitic wasp aimed at controlling introduced German wasps in the top of the South Island's beech forests. The parasitic wasp was a natural enemy of German wasps in Europe so hopes were high. The Conservation Minister of the day went full media on it. But it's turned out, I assume, to have been another failed experiment given how bad wasps still were on my last visit. Do you know if there's ever been follow up work on the parasite and how well it took hold?
Japanese knotweed is an troublesome invasive plant in the UK. There has been an investigation into whether or not to introduce a Japanese insect and a fungus that attack knotweed and nothing else. I don't know how this went. Standard advice still seem to be killing it with glyphosate. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7cded040f0b6629523c4d6/scho0209bphy-e-e.pdf
I haven't been able to find anything about these having much impact yet. The insect is being introduced in Europe and the US, but too soon to know if it will do anything. Here's hoping it does make a difference