•August 16, 2017•

A pilot program aimed at eradicating bush honeysuckle on Lake Shelbyville is scheduled for the fall. Bush honeysuckle, an aggressive exotic plant that is taking over much of the woodlands at Lake Shelbyville, will be treated with Rodeo Herbicide, an aquatic safe form of glyphosate, with the use of a crop-duster helicopter. Timing of the treatment will be dependent upon leaf fall as the leaves need to be off the trees in order for the herbicide to make its way to the forest floor where the bush honeysuckle is located. Bush honeysuckle goes dormant up to a month later than native plants and is often the only green plant you see during the month of November. Because the natives are dormant they will not be affected by the herbicide, and only the target plants will be impacted.

The aerial application method has been utilized successfully in surrounding states and in tests conducted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.