WICU12

Erie County remains the key battle ground in the fight against the dangerous giant hogweed lant. CLICK FOR VIDEO  But after 20 years of control efforts, far fewer new sites are being found. Still the fight continues. Today two workers from the PA Department of Agriculture were busy attacking a site in Greene Township. Four large hogweed plants, each up to eight feet tall were growing there plus some much smaller plants. The workers, wearing goggles and protective clothing removed the seed heads, chopped down the plants, and sprayed the stems with a powerful herbicide to keep them from growing again. The danger from the plant comes from it's sap that can produce severe burns. Jim Zoschg of the PA Department of Agriculture said, "What happens is the sap gets on a person's skin and reacts to the sun. It causes a type of burn and it can be serious depending on the person's pigment in the skin, and depending on how much sap would get on the skin." You can get information or report suspicious plants on the Hogweed Hotline, at 1-877-464-9333. It's a toll free call.

Paul Wagner