{"id":72555,"date":"2026-02-10T13:03:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T18:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/?p=72555"},"modified":"2026-02-10T13:03:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T18:03:48","slug":"this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it\/","title":{"rendered":"This plant invaded Michigan with \u2018chemical warfare.&#8217; Can beetles defeat it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Native to Europe and Asia, invasive knapweed has been choking out Michigan\u2019s native ecosystems for more than a century<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>State officials are considering whether to let land managers import beetles to kill it off<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>That solution may not be popular with beekeepers, who prize the plant for its late-season flowers<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Despised for killing off native plants but beloved for its nectar-rich flowers, invasive spotted knapweed has been spreading across Michigan for more than a century.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, state officials want your opinion about whether landowners should be allowed to release imported weevils to devour the plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Michigan Department of Agriculture &amp; Rural Development is <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.office.com\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=h3D71Xc3rUKWaoku9HIl0c8YV5zjfwNBqEZrPtgU4zVUOFFSVkcwU0ZWWk82N1BHUTI2OUwxNkkwRS4u&amp;route=shorturl&amp;utm_campaign=mdard+knapweed+comments&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\">collecting public feedback <\/a>until March 6 about whether to permit the release of seedhead weevils (Larinus minutus) and root boring weevils (Cyphocleonus achates), two Eurasian beetle species that evolved alongside spotted knapweed and feed exclusively on the plant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Officials expect support for the concept among landowners who\u2019ve been struggling to keep the plant from destroying native ecosystems and pushback from beekeepers whose hives produce prized honey from its pinkish-purple flowers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For all the damage spotted knapweed does, \u201cit is an excellent nectar plant,\u201d said Mike Philip, director of the agriculture department\u2019s Bureau of Environment and Sustainability. \u201cIt blooms at a time in the summer when little else is blooming, and so the bees really like to go to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/meet-invasive-plant-thats-killing-michigans-spring-wildflowers\/\"><strong>Meet the invasive plant that&#8217;s killing off Michigan&#8217;s spring wildflowers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/outdoors-life\/armadillos-in-michigan-officials-arent-sure-but-mull-killing-season\/\"><strong>Armadillos in Michigan? Officials aren\u2019t sure but mull killing season<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/outdoors-life\/michigan-may-soon-ban-sales-of-this-stinky-tree-and-5-other-plants\/\"><strong>Michigan may soon ban sales of this stinky tree and 5 other plants<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Recognizable by its slender pale green leaves and thistle-like late summer blooms, spotted knapweed was first documented in Michigan in 1911, having arrived in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800s on shipments of alfalfa and clover from Europe or Asia.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each plant produces thousands of seeds that can remain viable for up to eight years. Knapweed also releases toxins that suppress the growth of other plants \u2014 a survival trait Phillip describes as \u201cchemical warfare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Add it all up, and it\u2019s no wonder knapweed has spread into every Michigan county, taking over roadsides, farm fields and sandy-soiled forests, prairies and dunes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The beetles attack the weed in tandem, with one slowing its spread by feeding on the seed head, while the other attacks the roots to weaken the plant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If combatting one introduced species with another sounds like a recipe for disaster, Phillips said to rest easy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese insects will not, cannot feed on anything other than knapweed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Extensive studies have shown that the bugs die off when there is none of the plant left to eat. What\u2019s more, the seedhead weevil is already widespread in Michigan, having been brought in for past scientific studies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s little reassurance for Gale Moore, a Shiawassee County beekeeper who called spotted knapweed \u2014 also known as star thistle \u2014 a godsend for all manner of pollinators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt isn\u2019t just honey bees,\u201d he said. \u201cSo when you\u2019re talking about one species versus something else, you\u2019re opening up the wrong can of worms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This wouldn\u2019t be the first time Michigan has killed off invasive plants with imported bugs. One example is purple loosestrife, a plant that was rapidly colonizing Michigan wetlands until <em>Galerucella<\/em> beetles from Europe helped knock it back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>State regulators are considering allowing landowners to unleash imported beetles to kill off spotted knapweed, one of the state\u2019s most prolific invaders. Beekeepers may not like that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001,"featured_media":72554,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-02-10T18:03:46Z","apple_news_api_id":"0c5ca12c-dfcb-48c1-89c8-d975db3eccbe","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-02-10T18:03:46Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/ADFyhLN_LSMGJyNl12z7Mvg","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[2444],"tags":[62],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[2470],"class_list":["post-72555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-michigan-environment-watch","tag-rural-michigan","entry"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>This plant invaded Michigan with \u2018chemical warfare.&#039; Can beetles defeat it? - Bridge Michigan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"This plant invaded Michigan with \u2018chemical warfare.&#039; Can beetles defeat it? - Bridge Michigan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"State regulators are considering allowing landowners to unleash imported beetles to kill off spotted knapweed, one of the state\u2019s most prolific invaders. Beekeepers may not like that.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bridge Michigan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BridgeMichigan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-10T18:03:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-10T18:03:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/seedhead-beetle-on-spotted-knapweed-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kelly House\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bridgemichigan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@bridgemichigan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kelly House\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kelly House\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/#\/schema\/person\/cbdcea1c32cc09189eec24b023438535\"},\"headline\":\"This plant invaded Michigan with \u2018chemical warfare.&#8217; Can beetles defeat it?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-10T18:03:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-10T18:03:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it\/\"},\"wordCount\":570,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/seedhead-beetle-on-spotted-knapweed-1.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Rural Michigan\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Michigan Environment Watch\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/this-plant-invaded-michigan-with-chemical-warfare-can-beetles-defeat-it\/\",\"name\":\"This plant invaded Michigan with \u2018chemical warfare.' 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She joined the Bridge staff in March 2020. Previously, Kelly reported for the Oregonian, where her coverage of the environment and other topics garnered national honors and sparked state efforts to better protect Oregon\u2019s natural resources. She has a master\u2019s degree in environmental law from Lewis &amp; Clark Law School and a bachelor\u2019s in journalism from Michigan State University. She is from Harrison and lives in Lansing. You can reach her at\u00a0khouse@bridgemi.com\u00a0or on Twitter at @Kelly_M_House.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/author\/kelly-house\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"This plant invaded Michigan with \u2018chemical warfare.' 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Now, state officials are considering whether to allow the release of imported beetles to kill it off. 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