Sidney police ask residents to be on lookout for invasive species of weed

SIDNEY, NE — Authorities in Sidney are asking residents to be on the lookout for an invasive species they've noticed around town. 

Sidney Code Enforcement officer Lisa Hanley says the department have seen a wide spread of Bindweed in Sidney. Bindweed is listed under vegetation that is prohibited under city ordinance. 

They want to make people aware of the issue because bindweed is difficult to get rid of.

According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's (UNL) Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR's), it is listed as a noxious weed in 22 states. In Nebraska it is listed as a noxious weed in Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Deuel, Garden, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, and Sheridan counties.

UNL Extension Educator Gary Stone wrote an article on the weed. He says bindweed produces shoots and vines that can form a dense tangled mat. It contains alkaloids that are mildly toxic to certain types of livestock.

The weed's dense root system, that can grow 10 to 18 feet-per-year, saps nutrients from the soil and can reduced agricultural production by up to 50 percent. 

The IANR says prevention is the best and cheapest management option. If it is already present, there are other options, including hand pulling the plants. Hoeing and tilling have also proven effective although mowing has not been an effective management tool. 

There are also chemical treatments, but people should be cautious the selected treatment will not harm their plants, lawns or crops.

For more information on bindweed and ways to treat it, ready Gary Stone's article on the weed linked above.