City of North Miami

How Foamstream can be used to help cities implement a successful herbicide-free integrated pest management strategy (IPM)

Client: City of North Miami, USA

Background: North Miami went herbicide-free in 2018 however were struggling to control weeds using manual practices and vinegar

Machine type: M1200

Areas Treated: Parks, playgrounds, planter beds, mulch beds, swales, artificial turf, paver stones, sidewalks and fence-lines

Previous methods used: Chemical weed control, weed whacking, vinegar

PROBLEM

Having moved to manual methods (weed whacking and hand-pulling) the city were finding that they were spending much greater time and cost on these intensive alternatives.

The high frequency of weed regrowth with hand-pulling adds a repetitive labour cost and makes the weed whacking so ineffective. Weed whacking also stimulated further weed growth in an area, exacerbating the problem rather than controlling it.

Using Vinegar was proving problematic. It was even more weather dependent than glyphosate and caused an unpleasant smell for operators and anyone in the area being treated.

As the city had already gone chemical free it was important that the chosen method needed to be suitable for use in public.

HOW WE HELPED

All weather, all surface, all-year-round use

With regular rainfall and warm climatic conditions in Miami, there is very rarely a dormancy period of weed growth. It is therefore important that any weed control solution used can be operated all year round and in any weather.

“It rains a lot here in Miami, we’ve been out when its pouring with rain and still use it no problem. The hot water temperature is still high and it still knocks everything dead.” (Kelly Errol)

Instant results

“We love the machine and it works very well for us – we get great results in a much quicker time than when using previous methods. Its results are instant and it’s great to be able to use the system on any area that needs managing quickly. It’s a great benefit over chemicals and vinegar.” (Kelly Errol)

Treats weeds of all types and sizes

“It doesn’t matter whether you have two inches or a foot of grass you’re trying to treat, it knocks it down straight away and the next day when you come back, everything is dead.” (Kelly Errol)

Allowed removal of all chemicals previously used in public spaces

"The city has been using herbicide for a long time, so the introduction of Foamstream has been a lifesaver. Foamstream

has meant we can completely remove chemicals from our city." (Roger Museau)

Faster and more efficient than alternative solutions saving time and labour

The city have found Foamstream to be as effective as chemicals and more effective than vinegar. It has a marginally slower application rate, but due to its high efficacy and instant results, areas only need treating once every few months.

Positive public engagement

Foamstream has been positively accepted by the residents as an effective and efficient form of vegetation control and become a point of engagement for the city to educate their residents.

"The residents of the city were the main push to begin to use non-toxic chemicals for weed control, which in turn has had a positive acceptance to the use of the Foamstream system." (Christine Carney)

Simple to use and operate and no additional PPE

"I love Foamstream. I’ve had no problems with it over the last nine months. It’s very easy to use and requires no certification, no masks, no suits." (Kelly Errol)

Excellent service support from Weedingtech

"I’ve been cleaning and maintaining it too. With the help of Weedingtech engineers who have trained me, I am now totally self-sufficient on looking after the machine." (Kelly Errol)