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INDUSTRIAL VEGETATION Management & Commercial Weed CONTROL

APPROACHES TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Vegetation CONTROL FOR Vegetation & BRUSH ELIMINATION.

There are multiple resources for herbicide application approaches and methods for vegetation and brush control. The vegetation control herbicide application method depends on the size of the growth itself, the size of the area, the equipment, and which herbicide is utilized.

Foliage Herbicide Spray Application method; herbicide is sprayed/applied to stem and actively growing foliage
Basal Bark Spray Vegetation Control; herbicide is prepared by mixing chemicals with kerosene or bark penetrants and applied directly to the tree bark
Cut Stump Spray Method; chemical is applied to freshly cut stump surface to reduce resprouts (within 60 days of cut for best results)
Hack and Squirt for large brush; chemical applied after corresponding ax cuts, creating gouges in the tree, around the base of the brush plant;
Soil application methods; herbicide sprays, granules or pellets are applied to soil surface of vegetation or injected into soil with specialty equipment

Herbicide Mixing Guide

PDF Herbicide Mix Chart

Considering herbicides For your commercial site?

As an industrial or commercial property manager, it is crucial to carefully consider the use of herbicides on your site to ensure that your conservation targets, other native species, and the ecological system are not adversely impacted. When hiring a vegetation control contractor to manage your site, you should take precautions to ensure that the use of herbicides is warranted and will not threaten the health and safety of applicators and others in the area.

Before deciding to use herbicides, determine whether invasive plants pose a threat to your landscape or vegetation management goals on the site. Rely on herbicides only if you are confident they can be used safely and will do more conservation good than harm. Be sure to record your reasons for using herbicides and develop a Site Plan if your work for a government or municipality, or if your company requires it.

As you consider hiring a vegetation control contractor, it's important to ensure they take the necessary safety precautions on your job site. Here are some suggestions to evaluate whether the contractor has a plan in place for safety protocols:

Check if the weed control contractor has a safety protocol for storing, mixing, transporting, handling spills, and disposing of unused herbicides and containers.

Verify that the contractor follows all federal, state, and local regulations regarding herbicide use, including reading and following product labels. Ensure the contractor has all required certificates and licenses, such as applicator permits and posting requirements, by contacting your State Department of Agriculture or County Agriculture Commissioner.

Before obtaining herbicides on behalf of in house personnel or an outside contractor, consult with legal staff or your State or Regional Office if you have any questions about regulations or liability issues. Confirm that only licensed employees or contractors with the required certifications and current credentials apply herbicides. Unlicensed personnel may not apply herbicides unless they are properly supervised by a contractor licensee, and this exception is state dependent. VegClear exclusively employs fully licensed individual applicators. Always inquire about how programs and personnel are structured with regard to applicator licensing when evaluating multiple proposals.

Check to verify the company adheres to industry best practices, and if they are an authority in the areas of claimed expertise. Some contractors, like VegClear, are frequently highlighted in industry trade publications as well as published analyst trade reports.

Lastly, be sure your selected commercial vegetation control contractor provides all safety and protective gear for employee(s) on site applying the herbicides. The health and safety of the applicator and your employees should be a top priority. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your vegetation control contractor is taking the necessary precautions to use herbicides safely and effectively, protecting your non-target vegetation, other native species, and the ecological system, as well as the health and safety of applicators and others in the area.

Resources: Industrial Vegetation Control For PROPERTY Management

Vegetation Program Considerations For Industrial Real Estate Owners And Commercial Property Managers

As your vegetation contractor resource, our team maintains your paved and gravel surfaces to keep things free of weeds and grass where vegetation doesn’t belong. We work with property management, ownership, NNN lessees, in some cases gross lease occupants, to supplement the standard lawn maintenance in place by the landlord. It is successfully executed using our proprietary herbicide and application methods at retail, parks, industrial and other non residential sites. Other properties on our client list are free standing industrial owner/occupants, retail chains, property investors, family offices, airports and county staging sites.

Usually the types of commercial sites our applicators are spending time on (when they aren’t treating miles of roadside brush or controlling vegetation on high voltage easements), are commercial properties. The majority of our customers' sites are at one extreme or the other of the quality spectrum. On one end it's aging retail (BigLots, Harbor Freight, aging second and third generation shadow centers) or 'buy and hold' commercial tracts. On the other end, it's brand new high-end office and newly developed retail sites (Luxury Malls, and retailers such as Restoration Hardware, Costco & The Container Store). The great part is we aren’t partial to one or the other of these resources. We know how important it is to maintain the paved surfaces of older properties, to get another few years of use before having to resurface acres of asphalt. We also know that high end property & Live-Work-Play developers appreciate keeping them that way. So the ongoing monthly touch up jobs at new sites are equally important to curb appeal and neighborhood feel.

VegClear crews' vegetation control methods allow us to treat parking lot weeds, gravel pad growth, downspout trenches and surrounds at the foot of exterior tilt-ups. Licensed herbicide applicators also treat loading areas, multi material docks, dumpster pads, fence lines, curbs and unkempt/natural areas that perhaps aren’t front and center. These areas sometimes go without weekly mowing due to costs, but still require a pro’s methods from time to time to keep things from growing out of control. With our under the radar & low key spray approach, our man powered resources (old school pump up backpack sprayers) do not have loud motors. This means there is less intrusion experienced than from mechanical trimming up close to your business patrons during open hours. Typical mechanical methods would otherwise be necessary to manage unruly growth.

Send us an email, give us a call, or fill out the contact form for a quote on maintaining your portfolio or a particular overgrown site with a customized approach; we are happy to provide budgetary pricing for internal review and comparison to other brush control services if you’re interested in seeing how your options stack up.

Our weed control resources and methods are extremely cost effective. Applications for small and medium commercial sites (retail, warehouse, manufacturing, etc.) are usually in the ‘couple hundred' to 'a few hundred' range per weed control treatment, per location. These applications are typically done monthly, year round, and in other cases, quarterly. If you are a property manager currently doing your research in advance a few weeks before soliciting proposals. Your onsite brownout results from a formal industrial vegetation control program will prove to be a wise investment. We’ve been known to tip the scales in favor of our clients, delivering various ‘most improved’ and ‘project of the month’ awards for Facilities Teams and Property Managers.

Experienced facilities managers know the value of establishing a vegetation control program with a trusted partner upon taking over a quality commercial asset portfolio, high profile individual commercial property, or large new industrial development. Engaging an industrial vegetation management contractor is quick, easy, and cost effective, and helps ensure long-term success of the property. Without it, costs, burdens, and maintenance issues can creep up over time, forcing property management to act once weeds and unkempt vegetation become so out of hand that it's obvious.

At VegClear, we understand the importance of a subtle, quiet support staff working behind the scenes to make sure your commercial property's visitors aren't shocked at how overgrown the weeds have become since their last visit. That's why we are proud to help our partners in related industries such as landscaping, lot cleaning, waste collection, storage container rentals, and more.

We know that those few extra dollars in the cost column today make a big difference in the overall success of a weed free facilities project. That's why we are the trusted partner you can count on to keep your property looking neat, well-maintained, and weed free, without anyone ever having to know your secret.

Commercial Herbicide Application
In suburban and urban areas, herbicides are applied to parking lots, parks, industrial properties and other areas. Herbicides can also be applied to water bodies to control aquatic weeds and along the edges of detention and retention ponds. These weeds can impede, drainage, irrigation withdrawals, runoff systems, and interfere with recreational and industrial uses of water.
Forestry Herbicide Methods
Herbicides are also used in forest management to prepare logged areas for replanting. The total applied volume and area covered is larger on these forest floor projects but the frequency of application is much less than for other programs, occurring once every several years.

Resource: HERBICIDE APPLICATOR Licensing

State and EPA Resources For Applying Herbicides

Industrial Vegetation Manager Sprays Properties with VegClear Backpack Equipment, Using Precision and Care to Treat Only Target Plants While Preserving Desirable Vegetation on the Commercial Property

In addition to thorough routine training, research, and staying on top of industry developments, VegClear holds licenses with each applicable Pesticide Program in states we do business. These programs are the enforcement arm of state and federal EPA laws pertaining to the use and applicator methods of pesticides. Specifically under the Georgia Pesticide Use and Application Act, this program monitors the use of pesticides in a variety of pest management situations including commercial farming, vegetation management, lawn care, landscaping, forestry, public health, right-of-way, etc.

This governing body also licenses private and commercial pesticide applicators and pesticide contractors. Under the Georgia Act and EPA requirements, the program licenses restricted use pesticides for sale and distribution in Georgia. Additionally, it licenses wood treatment facilities, inspects chemigation systems, coordinates a container recycling program and waste pesticide collection program.

In short, any company that sprays herbicides on a commercial property as part of its maintenance responsibilities, the company and individual spraying must be a licensed. If not directly licensed, the applicator must be directly supervised and employed by a contractor & supervising applicator. Oftentimes, this requirement prompts Landscapers and Commercial Lawn Maintenance Companies to utilize VegClear Subcontracting as part of their service to the end customer. Landscapers appreciate our "White Label" spraying services, including generic yard flags and branded leaflets so clients experience a seamless service delivery from their landscape maintenance company.

Individual Commercial Applicator License

Commercial applicators must pass the general standards examination, as well as least one major category examination. The general standards exam is designed to test for general knowledge on the use of pesticides, while the category examinations are more specific to particular types of pesticide application. Most commonly required license type is Ornamental & Turf. Many companies that spray herbicides are structured with a minimum of a single licensed applicator who "supervises" the application work of any number of employees. They usually hold the Ornamental & Turf license only. While this adheres to the law's minimum requirements, VegClear expects (and requires) 100% of our spray team to obtain and maintain a commercial applicator license, personally. Beyond Ornamental & Turf certification, those spraying Right of Way sites are also specifically licensed for this work. This ensures that all visits and applications are tied to a specific licensee applicable to the individual spraying on the associated type of property and provides complete accountability and transparency throughout the process. Additional Licenses apply for aquatic which typically apply for dam, FEMA & ACOE (lakes/parks), and right of way work.

Commercial Pesticide Contractor License

VegClear is a professional pesticide application company that is licensed in the state of Georgia and other southeastern US states. We adhere to the Georgia Pesticide Use and Application Act, requiring that all individuals and companies engaging in the business of applying pesticides to the lands of another within the state must have a Pesticide Contractor License, which must be renewed annually. Our team of technicians is highly trained and licensed to meet the standards for applying herbicides safely and responsibly, and our licenses are renewed each year. For large multi-state and regional programs, VegClear may work together with a partnering contractor that is held to the same standards, methods, and licensing as our own technicians, including permitting, training, licensing, and contractor registration. This ensures that all of our services meet the highest safety and quality standards.

Private Applicator Requirements

People who are planning to purchase and use restricted use pesticides on their own property or the property of their employer must obtain a Private Pesticide Applicator license according to the state's Pesticide Use and Application Act. This applies to in-house team members and volunteers, and may include employees of grounds departments, on properties such as schools, churches, parks, and airports. Private pesticide applicators may not charge a fee, including wages, and can only spray on properties not owned, leased, or rented by them when the application is being done as a personal favor or exchange of services. When pesticide applications are being done commercially, and payment is made for services, a Private Pesticide Applicator license is insufficient and the individual would need to attain a commercial license.