Weeds and Pollen

This past week I've started spraying weeds.  I am working on the north pasture since no livestock is in there. Last year I sprayed a good amount of this pasture.  However for a large area of spotted knapweed last year I felt it would be quicker to use a weed whip to cut the knapweed before it could go to seed.  Well... this year I can tell the difference between where I sprayed and where I cut. The cut area is thick with knapweed.  This year I am spraying everything as I got an earlier start.  The weeds are only now beginning to flower or develop seeds depending on the type of weed.  I've only seen one flower on all the knapweed so far.

An exception is the western salsify, or goatsbeard.  A number have opened their seeds.  For the ones that haven't, spraying the weed may eventually kill the weed but that won't stop the weed's flowers from turning into seeds and opening to release them.  For these I have to pick off the flower heads then spray the weeds.  The weed will then die before it can create a new flower.

The pasture grass is high and with all the water this year the mosquitoes are horrible.  It was sunny and in the mid 80s today (hot!) and I had mosquitoes attack me mid afternoon.  If you stand in the shade of a tree you are asking to be eaten alive.

Another annoyance is that the grass is releasing its pollen right now which is causing me to sneeze and have a stuffy nose at times and get itchy when it collects on my arms..  The yellow in the photo is what I believe to be the pollen.  There is lots of it.