Home buyers are being denied a mortgage by banks and building sites because the property they are trying to purchase has been affected by an invasive garden weed. Read Article from the Telegraph
Posts Tagged ‘Japanese Knotweed’
Mortgages refused over invasive weed
Monday, March 15th, 2010Are bugs the best armoury against invading Japanese Knotweed?
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010After years of research, the tiny sap sucking insect Aphalara itadori is about to be released into the environment, to help tackle the advancing invasion of the superweed, Japanese Knotweed. But is this the best way to fight it?
Japanese Knotweed is a major problem for owners of infested land. It can cause immense damage to property, even growing through concrete, asphalt, within cavity walls and choking underground drains. Leading mortgage providers now refuse to provide loans secured against property infested with Japanese Knotweed, causing significant devaluation.
Japanese Knotweed does not respect boundaries. It spreads very rapidly, causing disputes amongst neighbours, and increasingly leading to litigation.
We asked Nic Seal, a leading expert witness in Japanese Knotweed disputes, for his views on the sap sucking bug.
“If you have Japanese Knotweed on your land you need to act fast to eradicate it. The bug could provide an effective low cost control method but is highly unlikely to result in complete eradication. In situations such as development sites and gardens eradication must be the ultimate objective to prevent damage to property, disputes and litigation.
There are obvious environmental and financial risks associated with the release of the bug, which hopefully have been fully and correctly assessed by CABI, the organisation that carried out the research.”
Contrary to popular belief, there are tried and tested methods that can not just control but actually eradicate Japanese Knotweed, with minimal environmental risk.
One such method is Xtract™, devised by Environet, a company operating nationally from their base in Cobham, Surrey. It is particularly suited where complete and immediate eradication is required, such as on development sites. It is an on site remediation method that removes all viable rhizome (the underground stem that causes re-growth) from the soil using specially designed and patent pending technology. The company leads the market in offering 20 year guarantees.
Other chemical and physical methods exist for the control or eradication of Japanese Knotweed, all of which may have a role to play in the battle against this highly invasive weed. The bug may prove a useful addition where control over a long period is acceptable, but not where immediate eradication is required.
Japanese Knotweed honey and other uses
Friday, February 5th, 2010Japanese Knotweed for much of the time attracts bad media and scare tactics. But is the plant that bad?
Well, whilst many are actively seeking Japanese Knotweed removal methods or filing for civil nuisance, its noteworthy to stop and think how this plant may actually benefit us and contribute back to society.
For example, the knotweed flower is a valuable source of nectar for honeybees, which in turn produces mild-flavored honey for beekeepers. Yet, ironically many would suggest the best time for applying herbicides is when the plant is in flower towards the end of summer.
Japanese knotweed contains a concentrated source of resveratrol, the nutritional supplement reported to provide certain health benefits and linked to stem cell research. How different this plant will be viewed if found to be of great medical value. One could imagine the market could move to cultivating fields of Japanese knotweed in return for a bountiful harvest.
Within its native country of Japan, knotweed roots have long been used as a mild laxative in traditional medicinal practices. Useful to remember next time that pizza is sitting in the stomach.
These are just a few uses of the dreaded Japanese Knotweed, I’m sure there are more out there, which makes one think just how bad this plant really is?