Milfoil Weevil as a Barrier to Invasive Milfoil
The Milfoil weevil is a small water bug that may be able to rescue suffering ecosystems. This weevil may prove it usefulness in eating milfoil and restoring the health of an ecosystem while causing no harm to people.
Two sorts of milfoil exist in the United States. Eurasian Milfoil is invasive and non-native and the other is simple indigenous. The native species is not a trouble but the Eurasian one is a major environmental menace. Eurasian Milfoil is the reason the milfoil weevil is so important.
Eurasian Milfoil (the primary milfoil that will be referenced from this point on) probably came to The Us between the 1800’s and the 19404’s as an unwelcome passenger on some large ship. Milfoil can easily travel on the undersurface of a boat and grow rapidly, which causes damaging ecological changes and causes problems for humans. Luckily this can spread the milfoil weevil as well.
It propagates quickly and destroys ecosystems by clogging out the indigenous flora life which reduces food for water fowl, contracts habitat for fry, and reducing fishing by creatures. The large mats it forms cuts the oxygenation of water by wind that leads to stressed fish and algae blooms.
The milfoil is more annoying for humans than harmful because it can lower the amount of water available for yachting, angling, bathing and waterskiing. Residential Districts are more adversely affected as the mats can clog intake and overflow pipes resulting in flooding or droughts. In dams, they foul and break generators and reduce power production.
One little weevil could hold the answer to the milfoil dilemma. Eurasia milfoil is a favorite of the milfoil weevil rather than the native kind; this results in the invasive species being step by step destroyed and indigenous plants slowly returning to their natural place. Add to that the number of generations of milfoil weevils per year (at least 3) and you have a natural pest remover with none of the problems related with other ways. The weevils are a clear answer to the milfoil problem, specially considering the rate at which the flora spreads.
It spreads when small pieces break off and sink to the bottom, there they take root. Marine harvesting devices are not productive because they break the flora and pieces come off and replant themselves elsewhere. Vacuum dredging works a small better because no broken parts are left behind, but at the same time the vacuum disrupts the water and could leave no flora life at the bottom.
The milfoil weevil will destroy the whole flora by digging into the stem and eating from the inside out, which will kill the plant. With only thirty days to live, the milfoil weevils will go through three generations before coming ashore for the winter. The weevils do have wings, but have never been seen flying, so whether they swim or fly ashore will remain a mystery. Once based in a habitat, the milfoil weevil will live even through the coldest Minnesota winters.
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