It’s not often I come down on the same side of an issue as the tree huggers. But this time I have to admit they’re right on. If you’ve been in Harriman State Park you know there is a serious thistle problem. You’ve seen them. They are tall, bushy, with big purple flowers and are absolutely horrible to walk through. They afflict fishermen, hikers, bikers, photographers and anyone else who visits the area. But since I collect medicinal herbs in the area, the last thing I want to see is herbicides sprayed indiscriminately in Island Park.

The Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) has come up with a perfect solution: death by bugs. They got a grant for $3,000 from the state of Idaho to release 2,500 small gall flies which, working with stem mining weevils to be released a short time later, will kill the thistles without the use of herbicides. Granted it would have been infinitely cheaper to get a gallon of broad-leaf herbicide and git ‘er done, but this is a very responsible way to accomplish the same thing in a way that doesn’t threaten the rest of the local environment in any way.

If you would like more information on how to get rid of thistles in your area without using herbicides, contact the Henry’s Fork Foundation and they can tell you how it’s done.