Florida "Habitat restoration" question

robert beiriger robert.beiriger at worldnet.att.net
Wed Apr 24 01:01:09 EDT 2002


Doug and Listers

    I do not work with the USDA program, but have been down to were they
work with the insects (Ft. Lauderdale)before they are released.  The insects
used, have been screened in Australia several time even before they are even
consider for importation into the US.  Once here they are evaluated to see
if they will eat anything but melaleuca.  If they do they are rejected.
They are also checked to see how they respond to fire ants and other insect
that might feed on they.  They do quite abit of research on these insects
before they are deemed ready to release.

    This is the second insect released.   They have released a weevil about
3 years ago and it is going quite well.

If you have any more question I will pass a message to them.  They will
better be able to answer your question.


Robert Beiriger
Loxahatchee, FL

----- Original Message -----
From: <MexicoDoug at aol.com>
To: <Leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 8:11 AM
Subject: Florida "Habitat restoration" question


> Lepsters, I ran across this comment while reading the newswires, an
wondered
> if anyone has any first hand knowledge of this program.  There is nothing
I
> would like more than to see the exotic water-sucking trees removed from
the
> 'glades, but at first reading this potentially risky strategy did surprise
> and bring to mind other gafs in ecological control history.  Any
additional
> info?
>
> Best...Doug Dawn
> Monterrey, Mexico
>
>
> [Bush's]His interior secretary, Gale Norton, joined the Earth Day
> celebrations Monday by dedicating a new Florida research center for
invasive
> plants and releasing 10,000 exotic plant-eating bugs to help eradicate
> melaleuca trees, an Australian species infesting 400,000 acres of
Florida's
> wetlands.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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