Rush Skeletonweed Agents

We offer a complex of three bio-control organisms to combat Rush skeletonweed. A bouquet of the infected weed is attached to your plants in the field. Infected bouquets are available in August for $50.00 each. Each bouquet includes the following three species:

Skeleton Weed Mite Eriophyes chondrillae

Eriophyes chondrillae, (Skeletonweed Mite) feeds on vegetative and flower buds. Flower destroying galls form around mite infestations, reducing or eliminating seed production. Heavily galled plants are stunted and yellow. New generations are produced about every ten days to continue stressing the plant throughout the growing season.

Puccinia chondrillina (Skeletonweed Rust) is a stem and leaf rust that causes development of rust brown pustules surrounded by yellow tissue. Spores are redistributed by wind and rain to other plants. Infected seedlings can be killed or plants have reduced growth, vigor, and reproductive potential.

Cystiphora schmidti (Skeletonweed Midge) is a gall forming midge that produces four to five generations per year. The midge can form thousands of reddish-purple galls on the leaves and stems of a single plant, severely reducing photosynthesis and reproductive capacity.