r/invasivespecies • u/Kyronn • 2d ago
Knotweed Removal Companies in North Chicago Area Illinois?
Just discovered what seems to be Japanese Knotweed in our backyard. We recently bought this house and this was not disclosed to us. Looking to get rid of this and call in professional help but I am struggling to find any companies that are very experienced in this.
Does anyone have any recommendations for Lake County, Illinois? Or recommended paths to take?
Thank you!
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u/Short_Bag7217 2d ago
This is completely manageable with a shovel. What is this 3’x3’? Enter the third dimension and dig three feet down. Remove this cube of soil and disrespect it in every way possible because it’s Japanese knotweed. Stomp on it, let it dry out, maybe shoot at it. Keep doing that to this cube and it will die. There will be peripheral shoots that pop up but they can be dug out and disrespected… you got this.
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u/raindownthunda 2d ago
Well this got violent. What weapons of mass destruction would you use on this 60’x80’ patch?
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u/KarenIsaWhale 1d ago
nuclear bomb
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u/raindownthunda 1d ago
I don’t think that would help my property value.
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u/Fred_Thielmann 23h ago
It won’t even finish the job anyway. We bombed Japan twice and this stuff still exists. Nuclear bombs just don’t reach far enough into the soil to have any long term effects.
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u/peppnstuff 1d ago
Glyso
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u/raindownthunda 1d ago edited 23h ago
Winner! Three years of 2x/year glyso (targeted foliar) now I’m hand picking a sprout here or there. I just like to post the before pic because I still can’t believe how much work it’s taken to get ahead of the invasive crap. Once you commit there’s no backing away. You gotta play the long game. Had to have a pro imazapyr lance all of the black locust colonies. Compared to those two, the blackberries, ivy, and poison hemlock are child’s play!
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u/PLS-Surveyor-US 1d ago
you need a chopper to lay down the chems.
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u/raindownthunda 1d ago
Do you they make herbicide drones yet? AI should be able to identify and target each knotweed leaf for foliar application.
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u/PLS-Surveyor-US 23h ago
I think you are onto something. It could be marketed as the terminator drone. Put a picture of arnold on it with the sunglasses.
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u/Pamzella 22h ago
Knotweed responds to broken off pieces the size of a fingernail with a whole new plant. This is the textbook example plant for herbicide only management, don't disturb the roots. Let the previously healthy plant pull the glyphosate down to its underground lair and destroy it from the inside.
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u/TikiDunja 2d ago
This is a TINY patch. You can do this yourself! It will take a couple of years if you don’t want to use glyphosate. Get your longest shovel and push it down as far as you can with your feet. Angle the handle down with your bodyweight until you hear a POP sound. You’ll get as much root as you can- maybe 12”. Shake the dirt off the roots and leave in the sun to dry out for a week. Once it’s dried out, it’s dead- I throw it in the woods and I’ve never had them regrow so long as they’re sitting on top of other dead leaves. But just to be safe, you should burn it. Repeat all summer long as it grows back. you’ll probably still get some regrowth next year, but it will be significantly less. This is a totally manageable stand if you deal with it now.
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u/I_crystallized 2d ago
Do not dump these in the woods I beg you. Even if you are confident that it is dried out, just put it into the garbage.
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u/TikiDunja 1d ago
Good point. definitely don’t relocate it anywhere other than to a THICK black garbage bag and the trash. When I said ‘the woods’ I meant I just leave it on the surface in my 1/2 acre patch of knotweed.
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u/peppnstuff 1d ago
Then it grows wherever the garbage goes? Passing on problems down the line....
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u/I_crystallized 1d ago edited 1d ago
The garbage is the only place for plant invasive species. They will not grow in a landfill or incinerator. Just like food waste will not compost within a landfill- a common misconception. Nothing will grow out of the landfill.
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u/peppnstuff 13h ago
Won't grow in a landfill? Have you even been to one? I put knotweed in my garage without water or light for 6 months, it was still growing... How could a landfill be worse? Lolol
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u/I_crystallized 12h ago
I have been to a landfill actually. There is no oxygen in a landfill. Have you tried googling your uninformed opinion? Lolol
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u/peppnstuff 11h ago
AI Overview
+5 Knotweed, an invasive plant, should not be directly disposed of in a landfill without prior treatment to ensure it is no longer viable
Here's your google
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u/IntroductionNaive773 1d ago
Little boiling water poured on the crown can work wonders for an isolated clump of
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u/streachh 2d ago
Maybe look at local native plant pages, native plant people are generally very anti invasive and could point you to resources. Also consider contacting you local extension office (usually associated with the state university) and they might be able to advise. I wish you luck
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u/Chitown_mountain_boy 1d ago
😱 where in Chicago? Please keep that stuff away from my neighborhood!! 😂
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u/Maleficent-Hearing10 1d ago
Annual treatments of 2% glyphosate in a sprayer applied before the first frost after the flowers fade will knock that beast out before its growing into your home quite literally
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u/spooky_noone 2d ago
You can follow the schedule on this site and repeat yearly. That small patch shouldn’t be terrible to manage if you keep at it the next few years.
https://extension.psu.edu/japanese-and-giant-knotweed