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ENLARGE
Bull thistle, an invasive plant.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Those yellow, purple, pink and white blossoms may look pretty, but officials are asking homeowners to look out for invasive and noxious weeds.
“Where native plants have natural predators, invasives don't. Native plants have fibrous roots to help with erosion control, invasives don't. Native plants provide habitat for native species, invasives don't,” said Nicole Cartwright, head of the Invasive Species Program for the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
As a result, invasive plants can grow rapidly and take over resources used by native plants, Cartwright said.
But Tahoe already has a leg up on the invasive weeds and plants, she said.
“Basin-wide, we are in the very beginning stages of invasive weeds,” Cartwright said. “We are still at a point where we can do early detection and rapid response.”
One of the areas where scientists are working to control an invasive weed population is in Glenbrook. Earlier in July researchers introduced weed-eating beetles into a growth of spotted knapweed in the East Shore community.
“The Glenbrook project is a great step for us,” Cartwright said. “It's centralized in one location, highly dense and the perfect spot to do the test.”
The insects were collected Wednesday from a knapweed infestation in Verdi and then moved to Glenbrook.
“Spotted knapweed is out of control in some parts of the West, and we want to prevent that from happening in Nevada,” said University of Nevada Cooperative Extension water quality specialist Sue Donaldson, who is heading up the Glenbrook project. “If we can use bugs to kill knapweed, that saves us a lot of money and means we don't have to use pesticides to control the weed. That's especially important at Lake Tahoe.”
The insects, seed-eating weevil and the seedhead gall fly, live exclusively on knapweed; studies have shown they don't bother people or attack any other type of vegetation.
After being introduced to the Verdi knapweed population, researchers have found that the invasive weeds have greatly diminished two years later, said Scott Marsh of the state Department of Agriculture.
It's the hope that the bugs will have a similar effect in Glenbrook, Marsh said.
“We are trying to slow down and mediate the spread of these weeds,” he said. “The biological method is not intended to kill the plants, it's more intended to slow down the spread to stress the plant to the keep it from getting out of control so other management plans can be initiated.”
The progress of the Glenbrook bugs will be monitored often, Marsh said.
“Where native plants have natural predators, invasives don't. Native plants have fibrous roots to help with erosion control, invasives don't. Native plants provide habitat for native species, invasives don't,” said Nicole Cartwright, head of the Invasive Species Program for the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
As a result, invasive plants can grow rapidly and take over resources used by native plants, Cartwright said.
But Tahoe already has a leg up on the invasive weeds and plants, she said.
“Basin-wide, we are in the very beginning stages of invasive weeds,” Cartwright said. “We are still at a point where we can do early detection and rapid response.”
One of the areas where scientists are working to control an invasive weed population is in Glenbrook. Earlier in July researchers introduced weed-eating beetles into a growth of spotted knapweed in the East Shore community.
“The Glenbrook project is a great step for us,” Cartwright said. “It's centralized in one location, highly dense and the perfect spot to do the test.”
The insects were collected Wednesday from a knapweed infestation in Verdi and then moved to Glenbrook.
“Spotted knapweed is out of control in some parts of the West, and we want to prevent that from happening in Nevada,” said University of Nevada Cooperative Extension water quality specialist Sue Donaldson, who is heading up the Glenbrook project. “If we can use bugs to kill knapweed, that saves us a lot of money and means we don't have to use pesticides to control the weed. That's especially important at Lake Tahoe.”
The insects, seed-eating weevil and the seedhead gall fly, live exclusively on knapweed; studies have shown they don't bother people or attack any other type of vegetation.
After being introduced to the Verdi knapweed population, researchers have found that the invasive weeds have greatly diminished two years later, said Scott Marsh of the state Department of Agriculture.
It's the hope that the bugs will have a similar effect in Glenbrook, Marsh said.
“We are trying to slow down and mediate the spread of these weeds,” he said. “The biological method is not intended to kill the plants, it's more intended to slow down the spread to stress the plant to the keep it from getting out of control so other management plans can be initiated.”
The progress of the Glenbrook bugs will be monitored often, Marsh said.
In your backyard
The Tahoe Resource Conservation District is on the lookout for invasive weeds and asks homeowners to be too. If you find an invasive weed, call TRCD at (530) 543-1501.Some of the three most typical weeds are:
• Scotch Broom
• Toadflax (Dalmation and Yellow)
• Bull Thistle
For a full list of weeds visit tahoercd.org/index.php/ISP/weed-id.
