Has anyone got some Dock beetles?

Say my name

I have a good square of docks in a part of a paddock where a pony used to graze and being lazy and wanting to give some grub to a critter. I was wondering is there anyone on here that has some Dock beetles on their land that I may get a few from to give a good home to?

This is what I'm after.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrophysa_viridula

Preferably the southeast of the country.

foxy farmer

Say my name wrote: »

I have a good square of docks in a part of a paddock where a pony used to graze and being lazy and wanting to give some grub to a critter. I was wondering is there anyone on here that has some Dock beetles on their land that I may get a few from to give a good home to?

This is what I'm after.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrophysa_viridula

Preferably the southeast of the country.

Stop any silage contractors mower on the road and have a look on the canopy over the mower bed. I remember seeing a Krone Big M a few yrs back and it was crawling with those green beetles. Another yr it was ladybirds.

_Brian

They don’t actually kill them though.
They will still go to seed.

There’s times when ya need the sprayer out and docs in silage ground is one.

Say my name

_Brian wrote: »

They don’t actually kill them though.
They will still go to seed.

There’s times when ya need the sprayer out and docs in silage ground is one.

I'm kind of wondering though if they tack into them at the vegetative stage would the root build up enough energy to go to seed.
The docks probably have energy built up in the root by now even if the leaves were tacked into though.

The Rabbi

The beetle won't bite the hand that feeds it,the docks will survive.

foxy farmer

What I've seen of them the larvae eat the green of the leaf. They leave the veins so you have a "skeleton" left. Dock will probably be stunted but could still go to seed.

Wildsurfer

Say my name, you really are 'farming outside the box'!

Say my name

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Say my name, you really are 'farming outside the box'!

I'm getting a little put off the idea by the posts.
But janey wouldn't it be something else if there was a biological solution to dock control. Kind of like those companies/people that hire out bees for pollination or send on ladybirds for aphid control.
Ring 'Bugs for sale' and get 2000 green beetles for a dock problem.

_Brian

Plants have a defensive mechanism to survive.
Any excess stress and they bolt to seed to ensure the next generation get a chance.

emaherx

Say my name wrote: »

I'm getting a little put off the idea by the posts.
But janey wouldn't it be something else if there was a biological solution to dock control. Kind of like those companies/people that hire out bees for pollination or send on ladybirds for aphid control.
Ring 'Bugs for sale' and get 2000 green beetles for a dock problem.

I've introduced cinnabar moths to my farm to help control the ragwort and they are having a big impact. As others say they won't eradicate them but they will completely destroy some of the plants and severely stunt others. I'm also pulling plants regularly which has gotten easier as they come under control but the really great thing is in fields which are completely clear of ragwort the moths have migrated into the neighbors fields reducing the amount which seed and blow back to mine.

So I'd say if you can get some beetles handy then there is no harm in trying them.

kollegeknight

Say my name wrote: »

I'm getting a little put off the idea by the posts.
But janey wouldn't it be something else if there was a biological solution to dock control. Kind of like those companies/people that hire out bees for pollination or send on ladybirds for aphid control.
Ring 'Bugs for sale' and get 2000 green beetles for a dock problem.

If you’ve sky- watch river cottage Australia. Last week a woman came with a trailer of goats to clear a valley of vegetation- another ties lad came with dung beetles to spread dung paths- reckoned it would go from 2years to 2weeks and it dehydrated the dung so no flies survive.

Markcheese

More than anything else what are their habitat requirements? Bringing in a couple of dozen beatles won't make much odds in year 1, if the conditions are right you'll have shed loads in year 2

yosemitesam1

Markcheese wrote: »

More than anything else what are their habitat requirements? Bringing in a couple of dozen beatles won't make much odds in year 1, if the conditions are right you'll have shed loads in year 2

They cleared out a neighbours field here a few years ago, seemed to explode out of nowhere and disappear again to a low level after. Assuming that they mustn't be very mobile or else birds find them easy prey

orm0nd

are they the same guys that eat the leaves on the sally trees,

used to be very plentiful on 1 side of the farm here bounding a river, but seem to have disappeared over the last few years

satstheway

emaherx wrote: »

I've introduced cinnabar moths to my farm to help control the ragwort and they are having a big impact. As others say they won't eradicate them but they will completely destroy some of the plants and severely stunt others. I'm also pulling plants regularly which has gotten easier as they come under control but the really great thing is in fields which are completely clear of ragwort the moths have migrated into the neighbors fields reducing the amount which seed and blow back to mine.

So I'd say if you can get some beetles handy then there is no harm in trying them.

Where did you get Them. Had loads appear here last year and almost fell in love. Ragwort seriously annoy me.

emaherx

satstheway wrote: »

Where did you get Them. Had loads appear here last year and almost fell in love. Ragwort seriously annoy me.

I found them in a bit if land we were renting a few years ago. We had been renting it for years but the caterpillars just appeared one year and demolished the ragwort, the land was bordering Tara Mines so I suspect they introduced them.

I borrowed a few dozen and after the first year there were thousands.