Vistas^® magazine - Managing Vegetation on Utility Structures and Guy Wires

Trees, woody brush and vines growing onto utility structures such as distribution lines or guy wires can cause electrical power outages and make utility line maintenance much more difficult and dangerous. This vegetation can limit access for crews needing to perform routine inspections, maintenance and repairs. In addition, areas around utility substations require a vegetation-free zone to prevent fire hazards.

Hand-cutting unwanted vegetation on and around these structures provides temporary control, but a more effective and longer-term control option is to use a selective herbicide treatment. 

Travis Rogers, VM sales specialist with Dow AgroSciences, has seen success using Capstone™ specialty herbicide.  Besides offering longer-term control of a broad spectrum of vines and small woody plants than mechanical methods, Capstone will not harm most warm and cool-season grasses.

Rogers recommends a spot treatment using 3 to 4 percent Capstone with 1 percent non-ionic surfactant when it comes to vine control.  “When woody vines are too tall to completely cover with a foliar spray, cut at a reasonable height and treat below the cut area down to the ground,” says Rogers. “For best results, thorough coverage of target vegetation is necessary and treatments should be made when vegetation is actively growing and under conditions favorable for growth."

Kudzu Treatments with Milestone^®

One vine in particular that has a tendency to climb utility structures is kudzu. Not only will it climb utility structures and guy wires, but it will spread out over the power lines and slowly weigh them down to the point where they can snap and must be repaired. In fact, kudzu has been known to climb up poles as high as eighty feet and even destroy high-tension wires and high-voltage transformers. With such destructive potential, utility companies are forced to dedicate considerable resources to controlling kudzu in their service areas.

“For utility structures on sites where kudzu is a constant problem, use Milestone^® specialty herbicide,” Rogers says. “Research has shown that treatments performed between July and September can keep kudzu off the utility structures for up to one year.” 

Roger Reid, a vegetation manager with Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative, has found this treatment to be very effective. “We’ve always had issues with kudzu climbing our guy wires, so two years ago we started spraying Milestone in a 12-to-15 foot diameter around them,” Reid says. “With its soil activity, Milestone holds the kudzu back and under control for an entire year with just one annual treatment.”

For broadcast applications, use 7 ounces of Milestone per acre plus a 0.5 percent non-ionic surfactant. For spot treatments, use 0.5 ounces¹ of Milestone per gallon of water plus 1.0 percent non-ionic surfactant.

In addition to kudzu, Capstone also controls many other woody plant species and vines, including Scotch broom, mimosa, wisteria and black or honey locust.

Using the right herbicide to keep utility lines and structures clear of overgrown vegetation, can help ensure proper line maintenance can be easily conducted while providing reliable power to customers.

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¹ Assuming no more than 25 gallons per acre
®™Trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC
When treating areas in and around roadside or utility rights-of-way that are or will be grazed or planted to forage, important label precautions apply regarding harvesting hay from treated sites, using manure from animals grazing on treated areas or rotating the treated area to sensitive crops. See the product label for details.
State restrictions on the sale and use of Capstone apply.
Consult the label before purchase or use for full details.
Always read and follow label directions.