Giant Hogsweed

[wawawebis]

Hi there those folks in Western NY....how do you deal with Giant Hogsweed? I have seen pictures of it, and it's rather scary! But since I don't hear much about it I think there must be a way to live with it nearby. Please tell me about it, since now that I have heard its heading east towards here I worry that all the Queen Anne's Lace is going to turn out to be Giant Hogsweed!
To learn more about this invasive plant:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/39809.html

[THERESA]

Holy crap those are huge! They look exactly like a gigantic version of Queen Anne's lace.



Giant hogweed statewide density and distribution map

The following counties have confirmed hogweed sites. The list is organized by the number of sites in each county.
26-69 sites: Niagara, Erie, Monroe, Steuben, Wayne.
16-25 sites: Cattaraugus, Wyoming, Livingston, Oneida.
11-15 sites: Tompkins, Broome.
6-10 sites: Chautauqua, Genesee, Ontario, Yates, Cayuga, Oswego, Lewis.
1-5 sites: Orleans, Allegany, Schuyler, Onondaga, Madison, Cortland, Jefferson, Herkimer, Otsego, Putnam, Nassau.

[THERESA]

P.S. For those of you that didn't click on the original link, it says DO NOT TOUCH THIS PLANT if you see it.

"Its sap, in combination with moisture and sunlight, can cause severe skin and eye irritation, painful blistering, permanent scarring and blindness. Contact between the skin and the sap of this plant occurs either through brushing against the bristles on the stem or breaking the stem or leaves. This plant poses a serious health threat; see your physician if you think you have been burned by giant hogweed. If you think you have giant hogweed on your property, do NOT touch it."

[Rebecky]

We have it on the property of the place we are renting now. It's way in the back, near the pond and we don't ever go back that far. You have to call DEC or someone to remove it professionally. They wear space suits to remove it. Just like poison ivy, you can't burn it either!

[wawawebis]

Yikes! How creepy! I heard that if you don't remove it then next year it will be all over the place....ahh!!

[Rebecky]

Yikes! How creepy! I heard that if you don't remove it then next year it will be all over the place....ahh!!
Yeah, that's for the landlord to worry about. Thankfully, we only will be here until the end of the month.

[popowich]

Why can't you burn it? Does liquid death work on it?

The same stuff you use to brown out your fence line and kill everything.

-Raymond

[THERESA]

:pThe fumes it gives off are toxic. DUH!

[Rebecky]

Why can't you burn it? Does liquid death work on it?

The same stuff you use to brown out your fence line and kill everything.

-Raymond
I believe those fluids will kill it, (liquid death, bush-be-gone) but it can retain and leak the sap....the sap is what burns you.

[wawawebis]

If you burn it and its like poison ivy then the oil gets airborne and inside your nasal passages! ...of course, since there is no sun up there, I guess I don't know why you couldn't burn it...hmmm...maybe it could get into your eyes and it does blind you.
It is an evil thing!