Balsam destroyers alive and well

[Queens59]

Natural England my foot

In my area of Devon 'Natural England' (and I use the term with GREAT reservation) are holding HB destroyer sessions 4-5 days a week...to 'help' landowners to get to grips with this useless, invasive and damaging plant

Yet the same paper who are happily advertising this group often have articles on the struggles of our 'poor, starving honey bee'...

How many times do they have to be told that bees are in dire need of HB in certain areas where other late season foods are not so commonly available?

Crawls into a corner and sobs...

Come on Pulman's Ottery St Mary & Natural England...what other useful and pretty things can destroy this week? I know that HB is invasive - but simply timing the destruction before it seeds would lower the amount around...and a few seeds will always escape to carry on the next year

 

[VEG]

They will never get rid of it

 

[Swarm]

They will never get rid of it

They'll soon get bored.

 

[VEG]

long live the balsam

 

[merlin65]

Tell them to dig it up and plant near my apiary.

 

[SixFooter]

Mixed feelings about HB. I hate the fact that it covers my garden in early spring. I like the fact that it's easy to pull up. I love the fact that my bees love it.

There is wasteland at the side of my house that has been colonised by HB and it was amazing to see it multiplying over the last couple of years. TBH it is pushing out nettles and brambles, so if it wasnt for the seeds getting blown onto my garden, it would be all good.

 

[ROACHMAN]

Collected some seeds from the Thames last year whlst kayaking from Cricklade to London

Planted them out this year round my pond, plants are currently about 8" high

 

[MuswellMetro]

Come on Pulman's Ottery St Mary & Natural England...what other useful and pretty things can destroy this week?

A local council near me has removed all the Ivy from a large Victorian graveyard, cut down all the sycamore, sprayed the brambles, rotavated the scrub and weeds and planted rye grass and daffodils

Then asked me to move a bumble nest incase someone using the graveyard got stung....Nope...so they sprayed it

 

[madasafish]

A local council near me has removed all the Ivy from a large Victorian graveyard, cut down all the sycamore, sprayed the brambles, rotavated the scrub and weeds and planted rye grass and daffodils

Then asked me to move a bumble nest incase someone using the graveyard got stung....Nope...so they sprayed it

Tell the Daily Mail.. they will love the story...

 

[Winker]

They will never get rid of it

No they wont, and I don't make it any easier for them by spreading the seeds

 

[madasafish]

Please delete your post...for your own financial protection

 

[ROACHMAN]

I thought it was only illegal to plant it in a public place, ok on private land

 

[Queens59]

Please delete your post...for your own financial protection

Who delete which post and why??

 

[MuswellMetro]

I thought it was only illegal to plant it in a public place, ok on private land

correct

see the NNIS web site

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...=aq8MbNcot74GycamSIg__g&bvm=bv.48705608,d.ZGU

 

[Chris Luck]

It should be destroyed along with Grey squirrels, more power to their elbow.

Chris

 

[enrico]

I shoot squirrels, magpies, jays and rabbits but I want balsam! Had it on another site and never had to winter feed my bees, here I spend loads on feed!
E

 

[Vramin]

Collected some seeds from the Thames last year whlst kayaking from Cricklade to London

Planted them out this year round my pond, plants are currently about 8" high

You'd better make sure none of the seeds escape from your garden into the wild, or you'll be liable for a £5000 fine.

A great deal of money is being spent to control this invasive pest, and despite it's usefulness to beekeepers, it does massive damage to the native fauna when it gets hold.

I think it's irresponsible to encourage it, even in your own garden.

 

[VEG]

Isnt it now classed as native

 

[Bosveldleeu]

Wish I had loads of it nearby.

 

[Les]

Isnt it now classed as native

We could rename it UK Balsam