"Simply cutting it off doesn't help, otherwise it will quickly sprout again", says engelbert singhartinger from the lower nature conservation authority at the kronach district office. The expert talks about the giant hogweed, which is currently pushing its way out of the ground, especially along the steinach river, but also along rodach or hablach, and which people should be wary of because of its toxicity.
One blood – 10000 seeds
"One blood has 10,000 seeds", says singhartinger about the rapidly multiplying plant, which grows up to 3.5 meters in height and can cause severe burns.
Worlsdorf and hassenberg also fought against the giant bar thief in 2017
phototoxic is the technical term used for giant hogweed. Phototoxia is a chemical reaction in which plant substances that are basically non-toxic or only slightly toxic are converted into toxic substances when exposed to light, especially sunlight. "Photo" stands for light "toxic for toxic.
A phototoxic reaction is therefore not an allergy, but an interaction of plant substances and UV radiation that is completely independent of the person affected. At night, on the other hand, the giant barb is much less dangerous.
Painful burns
But anyone who comes into contact with the poisonous plant on a bright summer's day risks nasty burns. That is why one should absolutely refrain from cutting off or cutting down riesenbarenklau without taking protective measures. Sometimes just coming into contact with the leaves or brushing past blood umbels is enough to cause burns.
The skin then often blisters, reddens and becomes inflamed. Direct contact with the sap can even cause first and second degree burns. Although the wounds usually heal again. Womoglich but they leave ugly scars.
Among the first symptoms are burning and itching skin redness. Later, inflammatory skin reactions appear in the affected areas, which are accompanied by redness and skin blisters and become worse in the first three days. The blisters and rotations can take on such dimensions that they resemble third-degree burns.
These symptoms are still accompanied by itching and especially burning pain, which can last extremely for a few days and continue to bother the affected person for one to four weeks.
Why there had to be more sheep, goats and cattle in mitwitz and along the steinach river and why the fight against giant hogweed is lost, you can read in the infrankenplus article.