CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C.-The city is letting residents know that it’s going to be spraying for weeds soon. It’s something the city does in the late spring/early summer.
Herbicide will be sprayed, as needed, on curbs, sidewalks, fence lines, sports fields, gravel sidewalks, and other landscaped areas.
The treatments are done in the morning to make sure the spray has dried by the time most people and pets are out and about. Spraying is weather dependant, and the city does put out warning signs when an area has been treated.
“An outbreak of major weeds like plantain and dandelion on sports fields can destroy the turf, which would mean costly replacement if we didn’t occasionally use this type of management to preserve the field. Along roadways, weeds accumulate in the seam between the curb and sidewalk. As they grow, die and decay, this builds up organic material, which, with the freeze-thaw cycle will eventually break out the curb – leading to costly repairs,” explains Drew Hadfield, director of operations for the City.
“In areas where we do not use herbicide for weed control, we appreciate the help of property owners assisting the City’s efforts to control weeds by scraping vegetation from curbs and sidewalks to slow their growth and the related build-up of organic material in the seams,” Hadfield adds.
Under the City’s nuisance bylaw, homeowners are not permitted to apply a pesticide or herbicide to any boulevard. The city expects two sprayings this year, the first of which will be on Wednesday.
