Update
GEORGE NEWS - The Kariba weed found at the Kat River inflow of the Garden Route Dam receives continued attention from George Municipality.
During the first week of February, Petrus Crous, an Outeniqua Canoe Club member, and Tyrone April, parks superintendent at the municipality, released a thousand Salvinia weevils (Cyrtobagous salviniae).
This is a follow-up on the December 2021 release of approximately 1 200 weevils at the Kat River inflow.
The Salvinia weevils target the Kariba weed (Salvinia molesta), a free-floating invasive fern. Using Salvinia weevils is a highly effective biological mechanism of controlling Kariba weed.
The adult weevils are 2mm long and black. Young larvae feed on the buds and roots while older larvae tunnel into the plant, causing leaves to die back and drop off. Since the weevils eat the plant, a significant reduction in the amount of dead plant material is expected once the weevils have established.
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Matthew Paper, junior researcher at the Centre for Biological Control (CBC) Department of Zoology and Entomology at Rhodes University, and Petrus Crous surveyed the dam to assess the most recent distribution of the Kariba weed.
Prior releases have shown positive signs of Salvinia weevils causing Kariba weed to die back. To that end, the municipality continues to strengthen cooperation between all parties involved in the localised rearing facility that will ensure a stable supply of Salvinia weevils in future.
The management of the Kariba weed at the Garden Route Dam is an ongoing process and the municipality is continuously assessing the options available to control the spread and density.
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