Should the Japanese knotweed predator be released?

[Puggit]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8555378.stm

Japanese knotweed is out of control, and a natural insect predator is due to be released.

Will it have other consequences...?

[grumbledoak]

So, Cane Toad all over again? Superb.

[Smart roadster]

I wondered about this as well. What will the killer insect eat once it has finished all the knotweed? It was claimed that it had been tested and was not a threat to local flora and fauna. What if it evolves to become a threat to the local flora and fauna?
I understand the need to kill the knotweed but will the cure be worse than the disease?
I voted not sure.

[Fittster]

Are there any cases where introducing a predator has been a success?

[Puggit]

Fittster said:

Are there any cases where introducing a predator has been a success?

Not a prolific predator (more a scavenger), but the Red Kite re-introduction doesn't seem to be having obvious bad consequences?

[Mazda Baiter]

Fittster said:

Are there any cases where introducing a predator has been a success?

Myxamatosis (sp) although some rabbits are immune to it. No other species are affected iirc.

[ShadownINja]

Could we not make the insect be unable to breed and have a shorter than normal lifespan. We can nickname them Roy.

[tangent police]

Biodiversity is important maaaaaaan.

Yes, assuming the predator doesn't snack on anything else... like beech trees, etc. They will have trialled this.

[OllieC]

ShadownINja said:

Could we not make the insect be unable to breed and have a shorter than normal lifespan. We can nickname them Roy.

NOt very sporting of you Deckarddddddd

[Amateurish]

Like rabbits in Australia, introducing new species to combat problems is always a bad idea.

[grumbledoak]

And we're introducing this to counter something the Victorians introduced.

I know an old lady who swallowed a spider...

[Ganglandboss]

Fittster said:

Are there any cases where introducing a predator has been a success?

Yes. The Bolivian Tree Lizard kills feral pigeons. When they are overrun with lizards, they release Chinese Needle Snakes, then snake-eating gorillas, and then when wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death. I saw a programme about it on Channel 4.

[rhinochopig]

grumbledoak said:

And we're introducing this to counter something the Victorians introduced.

I know an old lady who swallowed a spider...

I know a younger lady who'll swallow a lot more for fifty notes.

[Thudd]

grumbledoak said:

So, Cane Toad all over again? Superb.

+1

[roboxm3]

Ganglandboss said:

Fittster said:

Are there any cases where introducing a predator has been a success?

Yes. The Bolivian Tree Lizard kills feral pigeons. When they are overrun with lizards, they release Chinese Needle Snakes, then snake-eating gorillas, and then when wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death. I saw a programme about it on Channel 4.

The Simpsons??

[The Black Flash]

tangent police said:

Biodiversity is important maaaaaaan.

Yes, assuming the predator doesn't snack on anything else... like beech trees, etc. They will have trialled this.

Assumptions, however, are the mother of all fk-ups.
This kind of thing is always a dangerous gamble.

[plasticpig]

grumbledoak said:

So, Cane Toad all over again? Superb.

But you can lick Cane Toads whereas aphids have no useful entertainment value.

[Hugo a Gogo]

'Predator' in the sense that cows are grass predators?

I don't think these creatures destroy the plant, the simply feed off it, preventing it from growing as much

so not predators then

[miniman]

ShadownINja said:

Could we not make the insect be unable to breed and have a shorter than normal lifespan. We can nickname them Roy.

It's not the insect itself that deals with the knotweed, it's the larvae.

[ShadownINja]

OllieC said:

ShadownINja said:

Could we not make the insect be unable to breed and have a shorter than normal lifespan. We can nickname them Roy.

NOt very sporting of you Deckarddddddd

I was unable to incorporate the attack ships quote into my reply, sadly.