Need to abate some Mesquite, not big enough for heavy equipment, nearly too big for manual labor. Do you think a weed-eater would do the trick? What type of attachment would tackle the stems, no bigger than 1/2”? Would like to be able to whack it with ease and minimize the perforation of my body parts.

Get a saw blade attachment for your weedeater or try renting a walk behind brush mower. Home Depot has them, I’m sure other rental places have them.

Get a good hedge trimmer, this is what I use for the small stuff not worthy of a chainsaw. It will eat through cedar branches the same size as well.

Rented a Brush Mower last year. It was WAY too much of a struggle Bus. Did not turn easily. Did not like it. It surely whacked the Mesquite, though. The Mesquite came back with a vengeance.

sounds like the saw blade approach is the answer. Watched a couple YT vid’s. This time, I will spray a death potion on it after laying exposing the bases.

I’m encouraged.

Sounds like a cordless hedge trimmer would be good for maintenance once I cut the bulk of it.

I’d spray it before you start whacking it or you’ll be right back to square one next year but I’d use the saw attachment for a HD weed eater and go to work once they were dead.

This thing is wicked sharp. I’ve been happy with its abilities.

Sendero is your friend, you top cut mesquite and it will come back and make you pay dearly.

Spray it with Invora and it will never come back.

Big fan of Sendero

My LO sprayed my lease a couple of years ago. You ought to see the amount of grass we have now. Still plenty of cover for wildlife. It is great.

Remedy and diesel, Sendero, invora or possibly several other herbicides. Spray all of it first and then cut it all out next year.

^^^Think this is best option

A riding mower will likely mow it down fine if 1/2 inch or less.

The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the
understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is implied.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is an equal opportunity employer and program provider.RECOMMENDED LEAF SPRAY HERBICIDE MIX OPTIONS*
Ingredient
Concentration in
Spray Solution
Tank Size
1 gal 3 gal 14 gal 25 gal
Option A Sendero 1% 1.28 oz 4 oz 18 oz 32 oz
Option B** Invora** 1.5% 1.92 oz 5.76 oz 27 oz 48 oz
Option C
Remedy Ultra, Clear Pasture,
Triclopyr R&P and Triclopyr 4EC 0.5% 0.64 oz 2 oz 9 oz 16 oz
Pyramid R&P and Clopyralid 3 0.5% 0.64 oz 2 oz 9 oz 16 oz
Add to option A, B, and C Surfactant 1/4% 0.32 oz 1 oz 4.5 oz 8 oz
Hi-Light™ blue dye 1/4–1/2% 0.32–0.64 oz 1–2 oz 4.5–9 oz 8–16 oz
*All leaf spray solutions are mixed in water.
**Invora is labeled for privately owned rangelands only (excludes hay fields) and requires Picolinic Acid Chemistry Training for all applicators.
BRUSH BUSTERS STEM SPRAY METHOD
Works well: For controlling young seedlings or older trees
with three or fewer basal stems. Multi-stemmed mesquite
plants are much more difficult to control than younger trees or
undisturbed plants.
Research and demonstrations have shown excellent results
while using minimum amounts of herbicide.
When to apply: Anytime during the year, although the best
results occur during the growing season. The Invora mixture
(option B) is best applied late spring through summer.
1. Prepare the Equipment
Almost any type of pump-up hand sprayer can be used, but the
most efficient way to apply the stem spray to many trees is with
a backpack sprayer.
Make sure the sprayer’s nozzle has a small orifice. One such
nozzle is the Conejet™ 5500-X1 (or X2). Compared to standard
nozzles, this nozzle can reduce the amount of spray applied
by 80 percent, making the use of chemicals much more cost-
effective.
2. Mix the Herbicide Spray
For spraying mesquite stems, there are two mixture options.
For triclopyr ester applications (option A), pour the required
amount of herbicide (trade names: Remedy Ultra, Clear Pasture,
Triclopyr R&P, and Triclopyr 4EC) into the mixing container
(concentration depends on mesquite
stem diameter and bark roughness), and
then bring to the desired total volume
by addition of diesel fuel or basal bark
oil, which act as coating agents to ensure
good absorption. Shake vigorously to
ensure thorough mixing.
For Invora stem applications (option B), fill
the mixing container half full of water. Add
Invora, a methylated seed oil organo-silicone (MSO-OS; 1
percent) adjuvant, and Hi-Light™ blue dye (0.25 to 0.5 percent).
Then add water to the desired volume and mix well.
RECOMMENDED STEM SPRAY HERBICIDE MIXES
Mesquite
Type and Stem
Diameter Herbicide
Herbicide/
Gallon
Herbicide
Carrier/Gallon
Option A
Smooth bark
1.5 in or less
Triclopyr
ester, 15% 19 oz 109 oz diesel or
basal bark oil
Smooth bark
1.5 to 4 in
Triclopyr
ester, 25% 32 oz 96 oz diesel or
basal bark oil
Rough bark Triclopyr
ester, 25% 32 oz 96 oz diesel or
basal bark oil
Add to
option A Hi-Light™ blue dye (optional) 0.32–0.64 oz
Option B* Smooth bark
4 in or less Invora*, 15% 19 oz 109 oz water
Add to
option B
MSO-OS Adjuvant 1.28 oz
Hi-Light™ blue dye 0.32–0.64 oz
*Invora is labeled for privately owned rangelands only (excludes hay fields) and requires
Picolinic Acid Chemistry Training for all applicators.
3. Spray the Mesquite
Adjust the sprayer nozzle to deliver a narrow, cone-shaped mist.
Spray the mixture lightly but evenly on all the plant stems from
the ground line up to 12 inches. Apply the mixture to all sides of
every stem, but do not wet it so much that it runs off th

Sendero definitely works good but it's expensive. If you want to save some money mix Remedy and Sonora (Reclaim) and dish soap. Been doing this for about 20 years and it has worked well for me.