Consult with natural areas management experts at nature centers, your local DNR office or local land management consultants for training opportunities before attempting this method of control. Grass or prairie fires can spread rapidly. If using fire as a control technique, know and follow local burning regulations and check local ordinances. The depth of water necessary and the amount of time cut plants should be covered will vary from species to species.
- Flooding - This is only feasible where water levels can be manipulated to completely cover cut plants for a period of time.
- If dealing with a species that produces clones, be sure to cover all stems of the species. The effectiveness of this technique can be increased by first cutting the target plants and then smothering them.
- Smothering - Use mulch, black plastic, carpet, or any other impenetrable barrier to cover target plants for at least one growing season.
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This usually works best with small or young plants, in sandy or loose soils, or when soils are damp.
- Digging/hand-pulling - Remove the entire root to prevent resprouting.
- If infestations are too pervasive, manual control may become labor-intensive and thus not economically feasible. Manual control efforts must be persistent and several treatments may be needed to reduce or eliminate the target population. These techniques work best on small populations or in areas where chemicals or motorized equipment cannot be used. Manual control techniques include activities such as hand-pulling, digging, flooding, mulching, burning, removal of alternate hosts and manual destruction or removal of nests, egg masses or other life stages. It’s recommended that landowners and land managers consult the most recent science or refer to invasive species websites.
Not all control methods are practical, effective, economically feasible or environmentally sound for every situation.
Where eradication of the invasive species is not realistic, control strategies must strike a balance between the ecological impacts of allowing invasive species to spread and the economic realities of control measures. This approach is often referred to as integrated pest management (IPM) and can include pulling, cutting, targeted pesticide use, biological controls and native species reintroduction. Landowners and land managers should evaluate their site, the life cycle characteristics of the invasive species and the best available science to determine which control method or combination of methods will be most effective and economical.Įmploying a combination of prevention and control measures is an effective way for landowners and land managers to manage invasive species. Control programs can include manual, mechanical, chemical, biological and cultural components.