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Palisade Insectaryt he bug, t he weed, and t he river

The Insectary, located in Palisade, CO, produces and releases about 30 different species of biological control agents. The Insectary is among only a

handful of programs across the U.S. that provides farmers, ranchers and resource managers with dozens of species of beneficial insects and mites as tools to combat

weeds and insect pests in an economical and environmentally sound way.

One of its greatest success stories is the battle against the Tamarisk.

The BugDiorhabda carinulata has begun to defoliate tamarisk along the Colorado, Dolores, Yampa and Gunnison Rivers and is now making

great strides along the Arkansas River. To date, approximately 1,000,000 tamarisk leaf beetles have been released along the river.

Tamarisk is not immediately killed by the beetles but over several years and after repeated defoliations some plants die and others

return with much less green foliage. In just the past few years, the small yellow and black striped beetle has helped to defoliate at least 150 miles of

river ways in western Colorado and left native vegetation, such as willows and cottonwoods, untouched and thriving.

The WeedTamarisk, also known as saltcedar, has invaded Colorado following rivers, streams and lakeshores. It uses large amounts of precious water, vital to agriculture. In Colorado most watersheds have tamarisk trees because it’s a tough little tree. It can survive fires, floods and herbicides only to resprout as strong as ever. Colorado has at least 70,000 acres of tamarisk, which depletes water resources through transpiration, alters stream channels, decreases wildlife habitat value, competes with native plants, decreases recreational opportunities and increases fire hazard.

The RiverIn spite of major successes in western Colorado, the beetles struggled to defoliate tamarisk found along the Arkansas River but are now making major strides. The Arkansas River has more tamarisk than any other river in Colorado; thanks to the little bug and and major control efforts by multiple agencies and landowners those weeds are now decreasing.

Before Beetles After BeetlesDiorhabda carinulata photo by Bob Richard

7/23/2012

The Palisade Insectary & Biological Pest ControlLittle Bugs Making a Big Difference

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) took an innovative approach to biological pest control nearly 70 years ago when it established the Palisade Insectary.

Located in Palisade, CO, the Insectary remains one of the few programs across the country that “ranches” bugs for use in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs.

The State of Colorado is committed to IPM to combat weeds and insect pests in an economical and environmentally sound way, and as part of that commitment the Insectary leads the way in biological pest control.

The Insectary produces and releases about 30 different species of biological control agents. These agents are used against insect pests such as the alfalfa weevil and Oriental fruit moth, or weeds such as leafy spurge, field bindweed, Dalmation toadflax, musk thistle, diffuse knapweed, and most recently the water-using invasive tree, tamarisk. The Insectary has greenhouses and insect rearing rooms as well as facilities for storage and shipping of biocontrol agents.

Insectary staff grows plants, such as the toadflaxes, with their beautiful snapdragon-like flowers, and feed them to insects, such as the toadflax weevil. Don’t feel sorry for the toadflaxes though--they are unpalatable to livestock and wildlife and degrade and devalue rangelands. Fortunately the little black weevils have brought infestations of Dalmatian toadflax under control in western Colorado.

Biological pest control affords the opportunity to decrease agriculture’s reliance on chemical pest control. The Insectary is involved in the following activities when it comes to new beneficial organisms for control of specific plant and insect pests: •importing •rearing •establishing •colonizing The results of successful biological pest control are: •reduced production costs •decreased amounts of chemicals entering the environment •established colonies of beneficial insects offering a natural permanent pest control solution

This program offers the citizens of Colorado a useful alternative to the use of chemicals for control of specific pests. To request biological pest control, residents just need to contact our Palisade office or visit our website at www.colorado.gov/ag/csd and click on “biological pest control program.”

The Insectary started as a local insect rearing facility and has expanded to become an important state and region-wide biocontrol center dedicated to producing and releasing biocontrol agents. It has also developed into a widely respected program that assists in formulating recommendations and procedures for effective use of biological control in IPM programs.