Landowners Learn About Leafy Spurge Control

On Tuesday, April 29, Walker Billings, Sheridan County Weed and Pest (SCWP) Supervisor and Brian Songer, Assistant Supervisor, held the first of two informational meetings about control of leafy spurge in Sheridan County. The meeting was held at the Clearmont Fire Hall, and around a dozen people attended the meeting. The second meeting will be held in Sheridan at the UW research and extension center on Wednesday, May 7th at 1:00 p.m.

Billings opened the meeting talking about some of the programs that the Weed and Pest offer to landowners.

He said the SCWP was established in 1973, by the Wyoming State Legislature and is funded by property taxes. He said there are 31 noxious weeds and 6 pests on state list, and 12 noxious weeds and 5 pests on the county lists. The Weed and Pest Districts throughout Wyoming were started to manage the species on the list.

He said one new weed they are working to control is a Common Teasel which he called a “mega thistle” which was recently found near Ranchester and is a highly invasive plant. A new pest recently found is a Japanese Beetle which eats vegetable gardens, grapes and other plants.

Billings talked about what the Weed and Pest offers to landowners, including rental equipment and herbicides. He said that everything is cost shared at 50/50, they pay half and the landowner pays half. He talked about the mosquito spray program in the county as well, because mosquitos carry several diseases.

He mentioned their efforts to fight salt cedar on the Powder River, as well what they are doing to control two invasive grasses, Ventenata and Medusahead, that strangle local flora, reduce wildlife habitat, and dry out quickly and increase the risk of range land fires.

The main focus of the talk and the accompanying slide show was leafy spurge, which Billings called the ‘Scourge of Sheridan County,” and why it is so hard to kill.

He played a short video from the University of Wyoming which explains the biology of leafy spurge. The flowers of the plant produce seeds in capsule and when they mature, the plant can shoot the seeds up to 20 feet, and the seeds can be carried by birds, mammals or machinery for miles, reseeding the weed somewhere else. It also has an extensive root system and underground stems, so a single plant can spread quickly and crowd out the native, more desirable foliage.

Leafy spurge also has a sticky sap inside the stem that irritates the mouths of cattle so they will not eat it. It can also irritate human skin as well. The sap does not affect goats and sheep, and they can be used as a biological agent to control for the weed.

Billings talked about some of the chemicals that can be used for controlling leafy spurge, there are several chemicals available. He also mentioned that sometimes the weeds become resistant to one chemical if it is sprayed year after year. He also noted that the label is law, and the chemicals must be used in accordance with the label instructions. The Weed and Pest have several chemicals to fight weeds in Sheridan County, and anyone interested should contact them.

Brian Songer talked to the group about bio-control methods on leafy spurge.

He said it can take 10-20 years to get bio control agents approved in the United States. He said that Canada is approving other bio-control agents. “Hopefully we will have more bio-controls for other weeds in the future.”

He said that currently the SCWP are contracting for the beetles in Montana, but they would like to establish insectaries in Sheridan County.

Songer said they hope to find more areas to set up more insectaries so they collect the bugs in Sheridan County and move them to other areas to control the spread of the weed.

He mention using goats as well, they graze on leafy spurge and can get into places where herbicides can not be used, around trees, near water and in areas where the terrain is too rough for vehicles.

For more information on how to fight noxious weeds such as leafy spurge, landowners are encouraged to contact the SCWP through their website at https://www.scweeds.com/