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Topping a field with Ragwort

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Comments

  • #32
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,298 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    No, they like to eat them at the rosette stage.


  • #33
    whelan2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,653 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    No, they like to eat them at the rosette stage.

    Fussy feckers


  • #34
    johnbusiness
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 ✭johnbusiness


    personally speaking if the Dept of Ag took a zero tolerance to landowners/occupiers wit ragworth on their land the problem would be solved overnight if a fine was imposed on sfp


  • #35
    whelan2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,653 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    johnbusiness wrote: »
    personally speaking if the Dept of Ag took a zero tolerance to landowners/occupiers wit ragworth on their land the problem would be solved overnight if a fine was imposed on sfp

    Alot of ragwort is on the sides of motorways, dont see the council's doing anything about it.


  • #36
    Base price
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,623 ✭✭✭✭Base price


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Alot of ragwort is on the sides of motorways, dont see the council's doing anything about it.
    I remember when I was a child the local Garda would call to farms who didn't pull ragwort.
    http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1936/en/act/pub/0038/print.html#sec3


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  • #37
    Capercaillie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Capercaillie


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Alot of ragwort is on the sides of motorways, dont see the council's doing anything about it.

    Although ragworth is of serious concern to livestock, it is an essential plant to numerous wildlife species. It would not be good if it was totally eradicated. I have it growing on my place (only very small amounts) and I leave it be.


  • #38
    emaherx
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,466 ✭✭✭emaherx


    Capercaillie wrote: »
    Although ragworth is of serious concern to livestock, it is an essential plant to numerous wildlife species. It would not be good if it was totally eradicated. I have it growing on my place (only very small amounts) and I leave it be.

    It's an invading species and not ment to be part of our eco system. We shouldn't have any species that depend on it. In the UK there are caterpillars/moths/butterflies that will devour them so they can be controlled more naturally.


  • #39
    Capercaillie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Capercaillie


    emaherx wrote: »
    It's an invading species and not ment to be part of our eco system. We shouldn't have any species that depend on it. In the UK there are caterpillars/moths/butterflies that will devour them so they can be controlled more naturally.

    Common ragworth is a native species.


  • #40
    Base price
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,623 ✭✭✭✭Base price


    Capercaillie wrote: »
    Common ragworth is a native species.
    I never realised that there were different species :o


  • #41
    whelan2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,653 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    emaherx wrote:
    It's an invading species and not ment to be part of our eco system. We shouldn't have any species that depend on it. In the UK there are caterpillars/moths/butterflies that will devour them so they can be controlled more naturally.

    Have been pulling them this last few weeks and maybe 5% have those caterpillars on them


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  • #42
    Capercaillie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Capercaillie


    Base price wrote: »
    I never realised that there were different species :o

    4 species.


  • #43
    Jimlh86
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 260 ✭✭Jimlh86


    johnbusiness wrote: »
    personally speaking if the Dept of Ag took a zero tolerance to landowners/occupiers wit ragworth on their land the problem would be solved overnight if a fine was imposed on sfp

    We have 9 acres that a railway line runs along one side, it's the cause of me pulling ragworts every year on that side of the land. Pain in the hole I'd pull it myself but I can't get up to it


  • #44
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,898 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    emaherx wrote: »
    It's an invading species and not ment to be part of our eco system. We shouldn't have any species that depend on it. In the UK there are caterpillars/moths/butterflies that will devour them so they can be controlled more naturally.

    Got cinnabar caterpillars munching on them in my place in North Mayo most years. Do a reasonably good job on stopping it spreading much from one prone field. I pull them too if I see them anywhere else - though this summer has been so bad there that I've seen a lot less of both the moth and ragwort in general.


  • #45
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    Noxious weed act...but try and get the dept to do anything in time. It really needs to be enforced better


  • #46
    johnbusiness
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 ✭johnbusiness


    Well I got the dept to deal with a serious problem of ragworth. A neighbour had sixty acres of really out of control ragworth for the last few years.keept at him to cut or spray it but he always put it on the long finger making excuses well this year I had enough .told him to cut it or I would get dept on to him. he called my bluff so dept paid him a visit ragworth now cut.


  • #47
    Qualitymark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    Cinnabar moth caterpillars on ragwort in a garden last week.

    357442.jpg


  • #48
    whelan2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,653 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Qualitymark wrote: »
    Cinnabar moth caterpillars on ragwort in a garden last week.

    357442.jpg
    wonder if the dept came out and you said you were relying on these guys to get rid of the ragwort what would they say? Btw does the plant die after they eat it?


  • #49
    Qualitymark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    whelan2 wrote: »
    wonder if the dept came out and you said you were relying on these guys to get rid of the ragwort what would they say? Btw does the plant die after they eat it?

    Well, the owner of plant and caterpillars seems far from a farmer (or gardener) - waving chest-high grass and gracious avenues of buddleia ;)

    They'd eaten one plant almost completely. There's another fine healthy ragwort a few feet away, perhaps they'll move to that. They were eating the seeds as well as the leaves.


  • #50
    BnB
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,091 ✭✭✭BnB


    Qualitymark wrote: »
    Cinnabar moth caterpillars on ragwort in a garden last week....

    Impressive looking guys (Although it helps that they're wearing the aul' club colors (Black n' Amber)

    I wonder if you can buy 'em by the ton....???


  • #51
    Qualitymark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    BnB wrote: »
    Impressive looking guys (Although it helps that they're wearing the aul' club colors (Black n' Amber)

    I wonder if you can buy 'em by the ton....???

    Discussed here http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?625396-Cinnabar-moths-any-point-in-introducing-to-control-ragwort


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