TARGET WEEDS WE CONTROL
The most common invasive plants affecting UK homeowners, landowners, authorities, environmental agencies and businesses.
INVASIVE WEED TreatmentS
Each invasive plant species requires a specific treatment for successful control or eradication. We treat listed invasive plant species that cause problems for homeowners and commercial businesses – excluding common garden weeds such as bindweed. For more information about the invasive plants that we control visit our Target Weeds page.
EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE CONTROL METHODS
No one treatment fits all! Our Specialist Advisory services will guide you through the options once a survey has positively identified which species we are dealing with. We provide a range of treatments including herbicide spraying either on foot or quadbike, and mechanical techniques that are more suited for certain species. Before we start on a contract our method(s) of choice will be clearly explained so you will know what’s going to happen prior, during and after treatment.
TREATMENT programme
We deliver over 9,000 herbicide visits to 7,000 loyal customers. With our Herbicide Treatment Programme (HTP) you’ll receive a methodical schedule of carefully managed visits, where correctly specified herbicides are applied to the target plants. With sustained applications the herbicide can exhaust the plant bringing it under effective control and preventing its further spread.
We will choose which method to use, which may be one or several of the following:
- Knapsack spraying
- Quadbike spraying
- Spraying from a boat
- Stem injection
- Leaf wiping
- Weed wiping
Safe Herbicide
Studies have shown that there are optimum herbicides and application techniques that should be adopted for the best results and our methods adhere to these findings. One such study on Glyphosate and its potential risk to human health states; “Glyphosate has lower acute toxicity to humans than 94% of all herbicides and many common household chemicals, including vinegar and table salt. Glyphosate also has lower chronic toxicity to humans than 90% of all herbicides.”
Additionally in a recent report, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) “did not identify any critical areas of concern in its peer review of the risk assessment of the active substance glyphosate in relation to the risk it poses to humans and animals or the environment.”
As such, we use Glyphosate for the majority of our herbicide control projects. This chemical is highly effective and safe when used by professionals in the right way, and adhering to public safety regulations.
PHYSICAL & MECHANICAL METHODS
There are several remediation methods that suit the control of certain invasive and aquatic weeds, which can include:
- Cutting by hand.
- Hand pulling.
- Mechanical dredging and covering.
- Full excavation and removal
- Biological methods (using natural predators).
Also within pond and lake environments weed control can be achieved by aeration methods such as floating lake systems. Areas where cutting or pulling takes place is netted to ensure fragments don’t spread downstream, and all cut material are removed from the area or water and safely disposed of, preferably on site, well away from water courses.
AQUATIC METHODS
Studies have shown that there are optimum herbicides and techniques that should be adopted for any treatment, but especially for treatments near water. Our methods adhere to these findings, and when planning a treatment programme, we always consider:
- Proximity of the species to watercourses and bodies of water.
- Sensitivity to proximity non-target vegetation (trees, plants and grasses).
- Size of the infestation and density of the stand.
- Proximity of tree roots (if using residual herbicides).
- Proximity of badger sets or other forms of protected wildlife.
EXPERT SERVICES
Contact our team to get the information you need and a quick quote
public and environmental safety
As a safety-first company Environment Controls is fully compliant with the relevant Health and Safety regulations, ensuring our staff are fully trained and our processes comply with H&S standards and legislation and all information is kept up to date.
Health & Safety has always been a crucial part of our business, both for our staff and how we operate for our clients. We hold a range of safety SSIP and industry-related accreditations which are supported by our commitment keeping the general public safe whilst we are supplying treatments. When applying pesticides in areas where the public are allowed to go our operatives ensure that people are not put at risk. This means stopping if there is a risk to health either from the machinery or from the spray if people are using the land or right of way while we are applying pesticides. We avoid spraying near schools at peak times, or if in a public area where pedestrian activity is high at certain times of the day we will avoid these times.
See how we keep the public and the environment safe at all times:
