Giant Hogweed spraying in Dunblane this year

A quick update; most of the Giant Hogs have been sprayed in the last week by me. The area sprayed starts at the bridge near Riverview and runs up to the end of the lower playing pitch in the Laighills. Along the length of the path to Ashfield starting at the Ramoyle end running behind the Cala estate. Various other small patches in the general area have also been sprayed.

It will take at least 2 weeks before the plants start to go yellow. I will go out again in mid May and spray anything that is still alive as these will have been missed this time round. I have noticed in my travels that a few Hogs had been ‘bashed’ in an attempt to kill them off. Please DO NOT do this, it is dangerous and it DOES NOT kill the plant which just comes back again next year. So please NO BASHING any plants you see growing. You can email me via the Community Council contact on this website if you think I have missed any but as have I said above, please wait at least 2 weeks.

You might well ask about the large infestations on the west of the Allan Water from Ashfield down to Dunblane and about the large patch in the Laighills that is along the path that follows the river from the lower football pitch. Contractors have been appointed by Forth Fisheries so hopefully all these areas will be sprayed soon. The other area is the railway track; Network Rail did some minimal spraying last year north of Dunblane, they did a miserable job and I hope they will take their responsibilities more seriously this year. Will update you again in Mid May.

Terence O’Byrne (Community Council)