Tips for controlling exotic and invasive plants:
Prevention:
Request that all animals (dogs, horses), clothing, shoes, and equipment (ATVs, boats, logging equipment, etc.) entering your natural areas, lakes, or forest be free of seed and mud residues that might contain the seed or viable parts of invasive plants.
Select native varieties of plants for landscaping and horticultural uses
Help spread awareness of the problem of invasive plants with neighbors, acquaintances, and elected officials
Education:
Familiarize yourself in the identification of these plants. Consider hiring an individual or company familiar with the identification of the many exotic and invasive plants to periodically monitor your property for existing and newly arriving species. In some areas, assistance may be available through public agencies.
Rapid response:
Treat newly discovered invasive plant populations as quickly as possible to prevent their spread. This could make the difference in keeping the cost of control to a few dollars rather than many thousands of dollars if left untreated for an extended period.
Maintenance:
New exotic species arrive in the United States continually from direct importation for landscape usage and accidentally through global travel and trade. Additionally, existing known invasive species are often spread by humans, wildlife, boats, domestic animals, mowers, ATVs, logging equipment, sometimes wind, and through water movement making the need for monitoring all natural areas regularly of paramount importance. This should be done at least every two years. Trails must be monitored several times during the growing season as this is the most common point of introduction. This is a recent revision due to the rapidly increasing populations and distribution of Japanese stiltgrass, garlic mustard, and Japanese hops within this region. It is imperative that landowners, site managers, and trail users learn to ID these species to be able to ensure they are treated in a timely fashion.