Alligator weed alert for Manawatu hunters

Horizons Regional Council urges duck shooters this weekend to report any sightings of one of the world’s worst pest plants, Alligator Weed, in the Manawatū River or nearby ponds. 

This pest takes over pasture, is toxic to stock, clogs our waterways and creates a flood risk. 

You can identify the plant by its low-growing leaves arranged in opposite pairs along large red hollow horizontal stems. It may even have a clover like flower growing on a short stem. 

Check your duck shooting equipment, decoys and any items that have been in the water for fragments (almost the size of a pencil) before heading home.

Please report any sightings to our pest plant team on the free phone 0508 800 800 and the team will control the plant. 

For more information on the pest, go to https://www.weedbusters.org.nz/weed-information/weed-list/alligator-weed/