Not a dog, not a frog and not your friend
BY The Blaine County Bug Crew
Today, our article features Dalmatian toadflax, but, since it’s a new season, first we would like to introduce our new crew.
Our returning supervisor is Eric McHan. This is Eric’s eighth year working in beautiful Blaine County. Our returning workers are Carmen and Giovanna Leslie. Our new crew workers include Maydin Resz, Kylie Churchill, Ross Churchill and Brady Power.
As The Blaine County Bug Crew, it is our job to monitor noxious weed sites; monitor the insects that kill the noxious weeds at those sites; make presentations to the public on noxious weed control; manage a booth at the Blaine County Fair; provide public awareness of noxious weed issues (much like this article); partner with state and local agencies to build, maintain and collect insects from statewide insectaries; and be a presence at the Fourth of July parade to remind all of Blaine County to be aware of our noxious weed issues.
Our early spring helped Dalmatian toadflax begin its lifecycle several weeks ahead of its normal appearance. Dalmatian toadflax is a perennial. Its plants flower from midsummer to fall. Seeds are produced in a 1/2-inch pod. A single plant may produce up to 500,000 seeds in a season, which may remain viable in the soil for up to 10 years. This plant also reproduces vegetatively by stems that develop from adventitious buds on primary and creeping lateral roots. It is usually associated with sparsely vegetated areas and is found in most counties in Idaho. This invasive plant and other Linaria species are reportedly toxic to livestock.
Understanding the noxious weeds we deal with is only half of the equation. Matching each noxious weed to its natural predator is the other half, and doing so takes time and patience.
Read part two of this series next week to learn how we control Dalmatian toadflax with a bug called Mecinus janthiformus. For more information on The Blaine County Bug Crew, call (208) 316-0355.