Biological control does not eradicate the target species. Rhizoctonia solani and other multinucleate Rhizoctonia spp. The fungus Alternaria tenuissima f. sp. Aphthona adults emerge from mid- to late June, laying eggs until early September. Eggs are laid on the soil near leafy spurge crowns.
Adults induce some stress by feeding on foliage.
Control is achieved through stress imposed by larvae feeding upon leafy spurge roots. An effort to refine laboratory techniques providing a method for mass production of Aphthona and other specialist phytophagous insects is currently underway. The use of picloram does not diminish the viable soil seed bank. Small amounts of picloram are released into the soil from leafy spurge roots when it is applied to foliage. Exudation occurred 12 hours after application and usually continued at a constant rate for 120 hours.