Release Site Photos:
This is a release of Larinus minutus, 6/2000.
Left: Transport biocontrol agents (usually insects) in a cooler with an ice pack to the release site. Do not let them sit in a hot car or in the sun (cooked insect are only good for seasoning your sandwich :-) ). Release them as soon as possible.
Right: Take a photo of the site from a known spot so that you can track you future results. Mark the site with a fence post and/or a flag. The yellow wire flag for this site is visible in the tree in the background.
A heavily infested area of spotted knapweed caused when I-90 was built near Cardwell and Whitehall, Montana. This site was used to produce gravel fill for the freeway.
The release site should:
1) have a large infestation of the weed of interest,
2) be contiguous to other infestations so that the insects can spread to new areas,
3) fit the ecological needs of the biocontrol agent to increase chances of establishment,
4) be easy for you to get to, to monitor and collect from in the future,
5) be relatively undisturbed (heavily grazed, plowed, etc.) for at least 5 (preferably 10) years with a land owner agreement in writing, and
6) be well marked, photographed and mapped (the map data should be added to Montana Noxious Weed Survey and Mapping System) so that accurate state wide records can be kept for current and future use.
To release the insects, simply open the container and dump them out. Be careful not to step on or drive over too many as you exit the site.
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