Goatheads!!!

[Ugly Cowboy]

How do you get rid of goatheads and sand burrs?! I was at my Nana's house and walked to my truck barefoot for some dumb reason, and with one foot I stepped on a stalk of sand burrs, with the other foot I stepped on goatheads! She says she's been tryin to get rid of 'em forever, and has sprayed 'em with some kind of powerful weed/grass killer, cut the stalkes off and dug 'em up, but they keep comin back.

 

[Tutter]

I'm sorry, but common names differ from place to place, and I'm not sure what type of plants you mean...

Do you know another name for them?

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

No, I didnt think they had another name! Them dang things hurt like heck!

 

[Carrol]

We have goatheads.......punctureweed...........all over our property and they are a pain, quite literally. I have gotten stuck right through my shoes. My poor dog got one in her paw one day and just sat there waiting for me to come fetch her. We have had flat tires on our wheelbarrows and lawn tractor from running over the goatheads.

We were pulling them out by hand but then I found out that they can regrow from even the tiniest root, so now my husband uses a propane "flamer" to burn them.

I can't figure out how to add pictures to posting, but here's a couple links to pictures of the plant and of the goatheads that are the seed pods. When the cluster of pods seperates out into individual seeds, they look like miniature goat heads.

http://weeds.hotmeal.net/weeds/Puncturevine.jpg

http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/images/publications/books/allen2006_p50.gif

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

Exactly it!

 

[Carrol]

After doing some research on the 'net, I found that the only really effective treatment is to introduce punctureweed weevils into the local environment. From what I have read, they do not attack other plants, but can erradicate puntureweed.

Here's a paragraph from the Wikipedia article. Below it is a link to an old Time magazine article.

"Microlarinus lareynii is a seed weevil that deposits its eggs in the young burr or flower bud and the larvae feed on and destroy the seeds before they pupate, emerge, disperse, and start the cycle over again. Its life cycle time is 19 to 24 days. Microlarinus lypriformis is a stem weevil that has a similar life cycle, excepting the location of the eggs, which includes the undersides of stems, branches, and the root crown. The larvae tunnel in the pith where they feed and pupate. Adults of both species overwinter in plant debris. Although the stem weevil is slightly more effective than the seed weevil when each is used alone, the weevils are most effective if used together and the puncture vine is moisture-stressed."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938903,00.html?promoid=googlep

There is more info at www.goatheads.com (Really! a whole website devoted to this wretched plant!)

Good luck!!

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

After doing some research on the 'net, I found that the only really effective treatment is to introduce punctureweed weevils into the local environment. From what I have read, they do not attack other plants, but can erradicate puntureweed.

Here's a paragraph from the Wikipedia article. Below it is a link to an old Time magazine article.

"Microlarinus lareynii is a seed weevil that deposits its eggs in the young burr or flower bud and the larvae feed on and destroy the seeds before they pupate, emerge, disperse, and start the cycle over again. Its life cycle time is 19 to 24 days. Microlarinus lypriformis is a stem weevil that has a similar life cycle, excepting the location of the eggs, which includes the undersides of stems, branches, and the root crown. The larvae tunnel in the pith where they feed and pupate. Adults of both species overwinter in plant debris. Although the stem weevil is slightly more effective than the seed weevil when each is used alone, the weevils are most effective if used together and the puncture vine is moisture-stressed."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938903,00.html?promoid=googlep

There is more info at www.goatheads.com (Really! a whole website devoted to this wretched plant!)

Good luck!!

Dang... I aint never thought of weevils as a good thing!

 

[Carrol]

Yeah, same here, but from what I'm reading, they may try a bite or two of alfalfa but they can't thrive on it. I'm really leary of introducing an insect into the environment that isn't already there, but in this case it may be the best answer. In Japan, where the dang punctureweed originates, they don't have a big problem with it, because they also have the weevils.

Ugh, decisions to make, and none a great one.

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

Yeah, I'm a little scared to introduce different critters, then I'd just be waitin for the cops to come knockin on my door LOL!

 

[punkin]

Ugh! Thank goodness I don't think I've ever saw one. Those look nasty!