"Topping the cane suppresses growth for more than a year," Goolsby says. To accelerate giant reed removal, scientists developed an integrated pest management approach that combines "topping," or cutting, the cane (mechanical control) with wasp releases (biological control). Biocontrol of giant reed can also benefit Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program efforts. The reduction of giant reed will save more than $4 million worth of agricultural water per year, he adds. "The biggest decline in plants correlates with the greatest number of our biocontrol agents-the wasp and scale." "We've thinned the cane out significantly," Goolsby says. Measurements taken in 2014 showed an average 22-percent decrease in plant biomass across the sites where the insects were released. At the same time, they measured sites where the insects were not released. He and his team measured biomass-the amount of cane above ground-at 10 field sites before the insect release in 2007. Goolsby's recent research shows that the release of the insects has significantly helped control giant reed over more than 558 river miles between Del Rio and Brownsville, Texas. "The weed also creates an ideal habitat for cattle fever ticks and makes it more difficult for inspectors to detect tick-infested cattle and deer," says John Goolsby, an entomologist with the ARS Tick and Biting Fly Research Unit in Edinburg, Texas. This invasive weed can grow 3 to 7 inches a day, reaching heights of up to 30 feet. Giant reed, also known as "carrizo cane" or "Spanish reed," forms dense thickets that clog streams and irrigation channels, weaken river banks, stifle native vegetation, affect flood control, and reduce wildlife habitat. The arundo gall wasp ( Tetramesa romana) targets the main stem of the weed, while the arundo scale ( Rhizaspidiotus donacis) attacks the plant's roots. Several years ago, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists released two insect species as part of a biocontrol program to kill giant reed ( Arundo donax). Along the Rio Grande in Texas, tiny insects are taking a big bite out of an invasive weed that competes for limited water resources vital to agriculture and native vegetation.