Kurt Ehrhart, Milford resident and owner of Innovative Mosquito Management, Inc., based out of Madison, has recently started treating the non-native invasive plant species phragmitis in the Silver Sands park area. He and his crew use an impressive piece of machinery called the “Marsh Master,” operated by two men, which sprays a special herbicide that will eventually kill the plant and keep it from spreading.

Ehrhart has a contract with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, and is licensed to do this type of plant removal in all of New England. The DEP contacted him this year to begin removal of the troublesome phragmitis that covers 53 acres of land at Silver Sands state park.

The plant, which is sometimes commonly known as “elephant grass,” can grow up to 20 feet tall, and is deep green in color with a tassel on top. The plant has taken over marshes all over New England, and is a constant nuisance, with the potential to spread to people’s yards, parking lots, and roads, according to Paul Capotosto, DEP program specialist in charge of wetlands restoration.

The crew from IMM, Inc. are treating the phragmitis with an herbicide called glyphosate, which has been approved for use in aquatic life, according to Ehrhart. It contains a salt acid that other birds, mammals, and crustaceans won’t respond to. The process of removing the phragmitis will consist of a first application of herbicide this year, followed by two more applications over the next two years.