Invasive Species Control

Labor rate for invasive plant control $50 per hour.

On average it takes 2 to 3 hours per acre to control woody invasives like Common buckthorn, Glossy buckthorn, Asian honeysuckle, and Autumn olive. An investment in control now can eliminate the impact of invasive plants for many years to come.

Invasive plants rank as one of the primary threats to native plant communities and natural ecosystems world wide.  To restore native plants and maintain the health of your land it is imperitive that invasive plants be controlled and eliminated from your property.  

A quick inspection of your property can determine what Invasive Plants you may have on your porperty, how big the problem is and the best course of action to control it. W.O.N. has the knowledge and expertise to control each of the many species of invasive plants found in our region: from trees such as Tree of heaven, Norway maple and Black locust to shrubs like Autumn olive, Barberry and European buckthorn; to perennials weeds like Pale swallowwort, Japanese knotweed and Giant hogweed.  W.O.N. has been working in the field of invasive plant control for many years, working with State, Federal and not for profit agencies as well as private landowners.

Invasive plants (IP) pose such a large threat to native plants and natural landscapes for many reasons. Invasive plants have certain traits that allow them to out compete and displace native plants by direct competition for nutrients, sunlight and growing space. They have enormous reproductive capacity both by seed and vegetative means. IP have few or no natural predators to limit their population growth. IP can spread rapidly and disperse over long distances. They can form large monotypic stands.  Some IP’s can actually change the soil chemistry that gives them a growing advantage. All of these advantages allow invasive plants to dominate their surroundings to the exclusion of native plants.

Each invasive plant requires a different strategy for control that is specific to that plant. The most cost effective and reliable control methods are used to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

W.O.N is certified by the state of New York to apply pesticides.  For the majority of invasive plants the only permanent control method is the use of a herbicide, there is no alternative.  A low toxicity, non-persistent herbicide is used. The active ingredient (glyphosate) in the herbicide is broken down to natural compounds in the environment by the effects of bacteria, sunlight and water.

Controlling invasive plants can pay big dividends in terms of ecological health of your property by reversing the spread of non-native plants and providing more space for the native plants you enjoy.  Prevention is far cheaper than eradication.  Invasive plants often go undetected until the infestation gets out of control. Infestations usually start out as small populations that go unnoticed but continue to grow and spread.  Then suddenly the population can seem to explode.  Periodic monitoring can detect invasive plants before they can get established and dominate. It is far easier and cost effective to eradicate an infestation while it is small and before it spreads.

Every property owner should be able to identify invasive plants on their property and know how to eliminate them . You will be shown how to identify invasive plants how to monitor your property to prevent reinfestation and how to control any that may show up. With a little training you can monitor and keep you property free of undesirable invasive plants in the future. 

Cut stump treatment of Common buckthorn. This is the most effective method for killing stems of woody plants and preventing root sprouts. .Most woody species commonly resprout from the roots without treatment. It also uses the least amount of herbiicde. A moderate infestation of buckthorn will take 2 to 4 hours per acre to cut and treat.

Treatment of Japanese knotweed by cutting and treating the hollow stem. Herbaceus invasive plants cause extensive damage to native plant communities on your land. They crowd out native plants, contribute to loss of habitat resulting in fewer birds and wildlife. They are extremely difficult to eradicate once established but the effort must be made. I use the best control methodologies available to control each species.

this page updated February20, 2008