Weed Control

Municipalities and private land owners in the province are required to remove and control populations of prohibited and noxious weeds, and assistance from herbicides is necessary in order for Beaumont to meet this requirement.

Also, we will spray spruce trees infected with the yellow-headed spruce sawfly, which has the potential to destroy all spruce trees in Beaumont if not controlled

Beaumont has contracted Green Oasis and Birch Fumigators and Tree Spraying, which have staff of licensed and experienced practitioners to ensure application is done effectively, safely and according to the herbicide/pesticide’s application requirements. Contractors will be encouraged to work in the early morning or late evening hours to limit traffic in the area and prevent direct exposure while spraying is taking place.

The use of chemical controls will only be permitted when other mechanical and biological control options have been exhausted. There will be 30 m buffer zones where spraying cannot occur at any time, such as around playgrounds, daycares and bodies of water. School treatment will only take place in July and August when school is out.

All work will be conducted by licensed contracted crews.

• We will start the herbicide trimming program beginning in June. We will be treating fence lines and shrub-beds, weather permitting, June 15 through July 15.
• Where required, the turf broadleaf program will begin on school sports fields only when school is out in July and August.
• The fall turf broadleaf program will be begin September 15 and run through October 31, weather permitting.
• All broadleaf treatment locations will have signs posted indicating product used, application rate and date applied.
• Required noxious weed control will be completed throughout the year.

Only compounds that have been pre-approved by Health Canada will be considered for use and preference will be given to those herbicides that have low residual levels so as to minimize any impacts on the area. Studies conducted by Health Canada are very comprehensive and all pesticides being used have been deemed safe for both humans and the environment. Best Management Practices will also be followed, which encourage pesticide users to spot spray problem populations rather than blanket spray a large area. See below for the names of the compounds being used.

Many municipalities in the Capital Region support pesticide use when it is deemed necessary. The City of Leduc, Strathcona County, the City of Spruce Grove and the City of Fort Saskatchewan are just a few examples of municipalities who actively use chemicals to control and eliminate the presence of pests where mechanical and biological control methods have failed.

Currently, certain green spaces in Beaumont suffer from very high concentrations of broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions. Also, we spray the spruce trees to control the spread and destruction caused by the yellow-headed spruce sawfly.

Spraying will be done on an “as needed” basis in the following areas during each annual growing season:

• All infested shrub beds
• All areas with large populations of noxious and prohibited weeds where it is not practical to hand-pick
• Sports fields and green spaces throughout Beaumont
• Green spaces with very high concentrations of broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions
• Spruce trees infected with the Yellow-Headed Spruce Sawfly
• Trees infected with scale insect larvae.

Spraying will not take place in the following areas:

• Within 30 m of a playground or daycare
• In the flood zone surrounding any water body or waterway, including Storm Water Management Facilities.

Extensive measures will be taken to inform the community when and where spraying will occur, including ample signage around the proposed spraying area a minimum of 24 hours prior to spraying and 48 hours after spraying.

For broadleaf applications: the product is called Par III. There are three active ingredients in Par III: 2-4-D, dicamba and mecoprop.

For the shrub beds: Round-Up (or another brand name) containing the active ingredient glyphosate is used.

Beaumont has developed an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program which have staff developing a prescriptive method for Beaumont’s green spaces, urban forestry as well as outline when herbicides will be used. Under the IPM program the use of chemical control will only be permitted when other control options have been exhausted or ineffective. It also indicates where spraying cannot occur at any time, such as around playgrounds, or schoolyards.

• The City of Beaumont receives weed complaints through our City portal, by phone and email. In some cases, weed reporting is initiated through a City officer.
• Complaints are investigated for presence or absence of weeds.
• If the officer confirms that there is a weed problem, a notice is sent to the property owner notifying them that they have 7 to 10 days to resolve the issue.
• Once weed notices are issued and time to remedy has expired, a work order will be given to a city contractor to promptly remove the weeds. The expense for this removal will be incurred by the property owner and will be added to their annual property taxes.
• Be aware, additional measures may be required to remove all of the weeds (ie: more than one cutting). It is the responsibility of the property owners to control the weeds on their property and to arrange the appropriate services and contractors to keep weed spread under control.

The most effective method of managing invasive plants/weeds is preventing their introduction and quickly responding to new occurrences. The first step in managing invasive plants is recognizing them.

Try these tips to maintain a healthy lawn and garden and to avoid weed spread:

• Make sure you have 15-25 cm of loam (soil with roughly equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay) and/or compost to establish a healthy lawn
• Aerate your lawn (fall and spring) and top-dress with loam to improve the soil surface
• Keep grass height on the long side – 6 cm (2 ½ inches)
• Crowd out the weeds by over-seeding your lawn
• Maintain your gardens with native plants suitable for plant hardiness Zone 3
• Practice companion planting. Certain plants like to grow closer to one another and provide benefits to each other such as repelling pests/weeds and replenishing soil nutrients

If you notice that weeds are growing in your lawn or garden, there are several measures you can take, including:

• Hand pulling/digging weeds. This is often the most effective way to eliminate weeds because you can pull both the weed and the root system
• Mowing over weeds before they go to seed. This will help reduce the spread of the weed and in a few seasons can eliminate the weed altogether
• Talking to your local gardening expert. In some cases, companion planting can help eliminate weeds because they don’t like growing close to certain plants
• Applying an organic fertilizer which will help to promote root growth, improve your lawn’s colour and increase the resistance to disease and weeds. Organic fertilizers do not leach and run-off into our rivers, are non-toxic and non-corrosive, which make them a healthier choice compared to traditional fertilizers.
• Spraying weeds with herbicides is an option; however, we recommend this as a last resort. If you choose to use a herbicide, try spot-treating rather than treating your entire yard. Also, talk to local experts beforehand so they can tell you how to use the product properly and safely.