Noxious Weeds: Mile-a-Minute
May 09, 2017 12:00 AM
Mile-a-minute, a noxious weed that stays true to its name, grows rapidly and kills any vegetation in its path by smothering it. MAM is typically found in disturbed and unmaintained areas, or at the edges of roads and forests.
Does this noxious weed sound familiar to you? Here is what you need to know to help manage and control MAM.
Physical description:
- A vine weed with barbs and triangular shaped, green leaves
- C>an have hundreds of spherical, shiny black seeds surrounded by a fleshy blue covering
- Can reach 20-feet in length
Eradication tips:
- Pulling: pull from ground, remove from area, and burn it
- Mowing: mow at ground level, cutting the stem, before the plant seeds
- Herbicide:
- Pre-emergent: apply before the plant germinates
- Post emergent: apply after the plant has emerged and can be detected, but before seeding
MAM has been found in 49 of 67 counties throughout the Commonwealth. Over the past 10 years the Department of Agriculture has dispersed weevils, stem-boring insects, as a measure of biological control for MAM in Pennsylvania.
