Aggressive Milfoil Treatment Planned in Wolfeboro

[mcdude]

.....and now there's a proposal to treat Smith Cove in Gilford that has been met with some resistance. See the Citizen Article.

[RI Swamp Yankee]

I came accross this recently, sounds like a safe natural alternative.

Over the past eight years, EnviroScience, Inc. has been working with Middlebury College (VT) to make MiddFoil® available to the general public. MiddFoil uses an aquatic beetle native to Canada and the northern US to combat the spread of Eurasian watermilfoil, an invasive aquatic weed that has spread like wildfire across North America.

Based on eight years of intensive field application and more than 12 years of university research, MiddFoil has proven itself to be the only long-term, environmentally-friendly alternative to herbicides and mechanical harvesting for large scale infestations.

http://www.enviroscienceinc.com/cgi-...section&id=253

[wildwoodfam]

Originally Posted by RI Swamp Yankee

I came accross this recently, sounds like a safe natural alternative.

Over the past eight years, EnviroScience, Inc. has been working with Middlebury College (VT) to make MiddFoil® available to the general public. MiddFoil uses an aquatic beetle native to Canada and the northern US to combat the spread of Eurasian watermilfoil, an invasive aquatic weed that has spread like wildfire across North America.

Based on eight years of intensive field application and more than 12 years of university research, MiddFoil has proven itself to be the only long-term, environmentally-friendly alternative to herbicides and mechanical harvesting for large scale infestations.

http://www.enviroscienceinc.com/cgi-...section&id=253

As I recall from the treatment issues at my small lake in Wakefield - there are a couple types of milfoil - and the beetle only works on Eurasian, and the findings were incolnclusive as to long term results. Plus - who wants to swim with a whole mess of beetles in the water!!!

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by wildwoodfam

{snip} Plus - who wants to swim with a whole mess of beetles in the water!!!

The rock bass perhaps ! ? ! More seriously I hope they've done their studies well and aren't going to repeat the mongoose in Hawaii experience.

http://www.hisurf.com/~enchanted/foreigninvader.html

[RI Swamp Yankee]

All the studies from the link I posted seem very conclusive, the aquatic beetles are native to this area and do not harm other species. The studies going back to 1998 show a healthy rebound of natural species.

The beetle has proved to be a very effective control agent in extensive field trials. Depending on the initial density applied, the beetles take from two to four years to permanently stabilize EWM below problematic levels. Most importantly,the MiddFoil® process is environmentally safe: the beetle does not damage native plants or animals because it is native to our North American ecology. As EWM decreases in the treated lake, the beetle population gradually declines to a self-sustaining level.

I agree, who wants to swim with a bunch of bugs but then you would have swim in the milfoil to get near the bugs


The stocking of weevils into Van Etten Lake between 2000 and 2001 resulted in severe damage to EWM beds throughout the lake. The weevils successfully overwintered and returned to the lake in large numbers and have established a thriving population throughout the lake. The MiddFoil® Project in Van Etten Lake was so successful that a planned third year of stocking was eliminated.

It just seemed to me that the bugs were a better solution than chemicals and the long term (8 years) results show nothing detrimental but rather allowed native species to rebound and balance the ecology of the lakes studied.

[hockeypuck]

It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature. Is the milfoil problem a natural cycle in the eutrophication of the lake? If it's a natural process, it's like spitting into the wind. Beetles v/s Chemicals, I think I would vote for the beetles. Sounds to me that dumping toxic chemicals into water that people not only swim in, but use for drinking is not a prudent thing to do. Sure the results may be quicker, but just ask the Viet Nam Vets that were exposed to some of the first cousins of 2,4 D. Years later they are still trying to figure out what the effects are. I'm not a resident and those that are may have a different opinion, but one thing the lake doesn't need is headlines of people getting sick from exposure to some herbicide found in the lake water. Let's face it we all love the lake, and the fact that we do brings with it more use and misuse and is changing what many of us love about it. I guess since I've been going up to the lake for over 50 years I'm guilty of adding to the pressure on the lake. I'm a perennial tourist, but tourist are like women, You can't live with them and you can't live without them.
Hockeypuck

[mcdude]

Originally Posted by hockeypuck

Is the milfoil problem a natural cycle in the eutrophication of the lake?

No, it it not. It is a non-native species that does serious damage to the natural eco-system.

[RI Swamp Yankee]

I guess a question I should have asked since wildwoodfam mentioned different types of milfoil. What type of milfoil has invaded most areas?? Some places I have read Eurasian and other places I read say Variable. As wildwoodfam said, the bugs probably don't work on Variable Milfoil.

[lfm]

With all the focus on the overfull lake, does anyone know if the milfoil problem was ever addressed in Back Bay?

Also, did the excess rain exacerbate the problem, or is it too early to tell?

[ApS]

Due to the rains, the planned chemical treatment won't be efficient: The plan to chemically treat Back Bay's milfoil has been cancelled for this year.

Payment for manual removal is being considered and seems reasonably priced, at the <$4000 figure being floated.

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by lfm

With all the focus on the overfull lake, does anyone know if the milfoil problem was ever addressed in Back Bay?

Also, did the excess rain exacerbate the problem, or is it too early to tell?

The chemical treatment that was talked about was rained out for this year. I guess the water flow was too much for the chemical to be effective in the dose planned for. For some reason I can't remember, waiting until later in the season for treatment was not a viable option. As for rain helping or hurting the problem .... I have to believe the additonal flow from either Back Bay or the Merrymeeting is only going to spread the milfoil more. Chemicals in the runoff probably aren't going to help either. I've seen more milfoil float past my dock this year then ever before. Don't know if it's due to the increased rainfall or just due to the natural expansion of the weed.