To Catch an Invasive Species, Send One Out

Every so often, Mother Nature unleashes her fury which can bring us to our knees. Rain, wind, and lightning strikes can knock down power lines, leaving many without the electricity needed to get through the day.

However, there is another enemy that power companies are battling to keep from affecting the source that energizes our lives. 

"Invasive weeds can cause electrical system problems if it wraps itself around power lines, which ultimately, can cause outages." said Doug Pistawka, vegetation manager for Connecticut Light and Power. 

Nearly 500 power outages across the state are caused by out-of-control vegetation every year. To help curb this growing problem, CL&P is waging biological warfare on Mile-a-Minute vines, which can grow up to six inches per day. 

"These vines were first discovered in Greenwich back in 2000. They have spread to 19 towns in the state, including Norwalk," said Pistawka. "They don't have any natural enemies." 

To find an adversary, scientists at the University of Connecticut did extensive research. Scientists found a weevil in China that feed exclusively on Mile-a-Minute vines.

"The weevils have been shown to effectively suppress the Mile-a-Minute vines," said Dr. Carole Cheah, a research entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in Windsor.

"This allows us to fight the vines naturally. If we didn't have these, we'd use herbicides and we didn't want to do that." 

On Wednesday afternoon, 1,000 weevils were released at CL&P's East Rocks Substation off East Rocks road. Researchers focused on the Mile-a-Minute vines near the fences that protect the substation. 

"This is the first time we've ever released the weevils in Norwalk," said Pistawka."It is a preventive measure. The insects chew up the leaves of the vine and they also produce larvae that burrow into the stem of the vine. This will keep the vines in check."

The impact of the release of the weevils won't be felt immediately. It takes almost two years for the insects to get established in the vegetation. The insects are not effected by winter or floods and their usefulness extends far beyond keeping the vines off power lines. 

"These vines can destroy gardens, farms, and forests,"  said Donna Ellis,  senior extension educator at UConn's College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. "They can cause major ecological and economic problems. The vines grow over native vegetation. The weevils are used to try to prevent that."