Navigating the pricklies

Description:

I imagine that more than one of our bumblebee friends have been speared by the formidable bracts and other sharp prickles of this non-native plant species.Some folks see this plant and think it is a thistle, but it is instead teasel, Dipsacus fullonum subsp. sylvestris (syn. Dipsacus sylvestris). The bumblebee appears to be the Yellow Bumblebee, Bombus fervidus, one of our 18 or so native species of Bombus. It has a long tongue, black head and facial hairs, a black band on the thorax between its wing bases, short/even hairs, black corbicular fringes, and abdominal segments that are yellow except for the terminal segment.While always interesting to photograph, teasel in our area is thought to have been introduced by pioneers and is invasive. It wreaks havoc in our delicate moisture loving environments by forming large monocultures that exclude other naturally occurring species. Efforts to eradicate it must continue (and replaced with tall native forbs). As a biennial, the best approach to its removal seems to be to wait until just before it starts to flower, and then cut it right at the base with loppers (making sure sure to wear long-armed gloves and eye protection). Cutting it mid-way along the stem is insufficient since it will then quickly produce flowers from new growth below the cut.August 2, 2014, Salt Lake County, Utah, at approx. 4,335 ft. elev.