Neighbours helping control Wheel Cactus
The most common manner that Wheel Cactus plants spread is by birds. They love to eat the juicy, purple fruit, each containing hundreds of seeds, their beaks protecting them from the prickles. The birds then fly off to sit in a tree and digest their meal. But “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” and they often perch in a tree on the next-door property. Then before they leave, they excrete the seeds under the neighbour’s tree.
This means, unfortunately, that Wheel Cactus plants don’t stop spreading when they reach the boundary fence. Inevitably, the best way to combat this problem is by communities working together, with neighbours offering a helping hand to clear each other’s properties of Wheel Cactus infestations. To make things easier, the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group can loan you the injecting and digging equipment.
Join us at our next Community Field Day on Sunday 31st July where we’ll demonstrate how to destroy Wheel Cactus. The location is a property a few kms north of Maldon in Baringhup Road, just after the turn off from Bridgewater Road. The route will be signposted and see here for a location map. The morning’s activities begin at 10:30am and end with an enjoyable BBQ and friendly chat. Children are welcome but must be accompanied by a parent at all times.
