There are several simple practices that can be adopted to prevent weeds from spreading into new areas, such as purchasing weed free seed and forage, cleaning vehicles and equipment when leaving infested areas, and avoiding the use of ornamental plants that could be potentially invasive in your area. Another important measure is the early detection of potential invaders. If a problem plant is spotted early enough, we have an opportunity to deal with the situation before it becomes a problem. 
 
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure….."
 
The old adage is especially true when it comes to battling weeds. Once a plant is well established it becomes extremely difficult to eradicate from the landscape. At this point, the focus must shift toward developing a long-term management strategy designed to alleviate the problems caused, but without the expectation of ever getting rid of the plant completely. Along with this shift from eradication toward long-term management, comes an exponential increase in costs and work hours.
 
• WMA's Current Weed Alert List