Northern Kentucky Project: Bush Honeysuckle Removal - Mechanical Method

This video explains some of the basics for the mechanical removal of bush honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) that I prefer, using the Pullerbear Pro XL.

Bush honeysuckle is an invasive species that was introduced later during the 19th century, and was even promoted by the US Department of Agriculture in the mid 1900's to help with soil erosion control. Once the invasiveness of the species was realized it was to late to stop the spread and it quickly began to overtake the understory of many US forests.

Most states now have programs through their USDA - Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) county extensions to help private landowners cover some of the costs of removing this species from their property. For such programs you can look for your local NRCS County Extensions in the link in the references listed below in this discription.

My preferred method of control is not the most popular at this time, due to the time consuming process and initial labor cost of mechanical removal, but I try to look at the overall health of the ecosystem a worry that conventional methods will cause more harm then good... Some state and government departments are even experimenting with control methods using helicopters to spray glyphosate over the managed areas in the fall, while trees are dormant, as a way to cover more ground and fight this invasive species. As is the case with many good intentions, I worry that this band-aid will cause more long-term harm, and the distal costs of overall damage to the forest soils and our general health will more costly in the end. Therefore, I feel it is important to attempt to remove this species without using dangerous chemicals such as herbicides containing glyphosate whenever possible.
Roundup, which has been shown current research, to spread through the groundwater (contaminate drinking waters), damage soil microbiota (causing damage the local plant and animal community by extension), and impacts beneficial insects such as bees and other pollinators.

I hope that my videos help teach other forest managers and property owners the methods I use to remove this invasive species and help prevent damage to the forest ecosystem through the more conventional and currently prefered method.

References and Resources

NRCS Extension - Programs for Removal:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center

Bush Honeysuckle:
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/gardening-in-st-louis/invasives/bush-honeysuckle#13577254-origin-history-and-invasion

https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/invasive-plants/bush-honeysuckle-control

Tools:

https://www.pullerbear.com/index.html
https://rumble.com/user/Pullerbears

Glyphosate in the Enviroment:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7602795/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32203845/

https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/research-highlights/childhood-exposure-to-common-herbicide-may-increase-the-risk-of-disease-in-young-adulthood