Milfoil Weevil as a Barrier to Invasive Milfoil
The milfoil weevil is a tiny, specialised aquatic insect indigenous to North America that might have some very positive effects for humans and local ecosystems. This stems from the fact that it only eats milfoil and is harmless to humanity).
Two sorts of milfoil exist in the Us. Eurasian Milfoil is invasive and non-native and the other is simple indigenous. The native species poses no threat but the Eurasian strain is very harmful. The milfoil weevil now enjoys great popularity thanks to its love for the Eurasian Milfoil.
Eurasian milfoil (from this point forward all milfoil will be considered Eurasian milfoil unless otherwise noted) was most likely introduced to the Us sometime between the late 1800’s to 1940’s as either a stowaway on a Boats ballast or discarded shipping material. Milfoil can easily travel on the undersurface of a boat and grow fast, which causes damaging ecological changes and causes problems for humans. Thankfully the milfoil weevil can be spread the same way.
It propagates quickly and demolishes ecosystems by choking out the indigenous flora life which reduces food for water fowl, reduces habitat for fry, and reducing fishing by animals. Milfoil mats reduce the oxygen in the water, which can endanger fish and cause unhealthy algae growth.
For humans, it cuts the recreational uses of the water by swimmers, watermen, and fisherman. For communities, the dense mats can clog water intakes or overflows, causing water shortfalls in some places and flooding in others. In dykes, they choke and break generators and reduce electricity output.
One small weevil could hold the solution to the milfoil dilemma. Eurasia milfoil is a favorite of the milfoil weevil rather than the indigenous kind; this results in the invasive species being gradually destroyed and indigenous floras slowly returning to their natural place. With a high reproduction rate and a taste for milfoil, the milfoil weevil and a smart and safe way to remove the unwanted milfoil. The weevils are a clear solution to the milfoil problem, especially considering the rate at which the plant spreads.
This water plant spread quickly because broken pieces can sink to the bottom and easily form new plants. Aquatic harvesting devices are not productive because they break the plant and pieces come off and replant themselves elsewhere. Vacuum dredging is a little better in that it gets the little pieces, but cause a great deal of water disturbance and leaves the bottom bare, so it will need replanting with indigenous species.
The milfoil weevil will destroy the whole plant by digging into the stem and eating from the inside out, which will kill the plant. With a short life span (milfoil weevils live about thirty days) at least 3 generations will live and die till they head to the land to winter. The weevils do have wings, but have never been seen flying, so whether they swim or fly ashore will remain a mystery. Regardless, once there they survive even the harshest Minnesota winters.
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