'It makes a hell of a mess' Monster tumbleweed plaguing homes in rural town
A FAST growing tumbleweed dubbed "hairy panic" is plaguing homes in a rural town.
Hairy panic is consuming the town
Fed-up homeowners in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia, have complained its taking hours to clear their homes, gardens and garages of the menacing weed.
Problems have been reported for a couple of years with the weed but the extremely dry conditions have fuelled the issue.
A nearby farmer has been blamed for the headache as he has failed to tend to his paddock.
The local authority has deemed it not a fire risk
But the local authority is said to have refused to step in and help, as it's not deemed to be a fire risk.
The important thing is it's not going to kill people's dogs and cats, it just makes a hell of a mess
Resident Pam Twitchett said: "It's physically draining and mentally more draining."
The rapid growing grass, which is known by its Latin name of Panicum effusum, can be found in every Australian state.
It has been dubbed as "hairy" as there are a number of other Panicum species, which don't have any long hairs along the edges of their leaves.
The grass can form tumbleweeds, which are dead grass with seeds inside, which are designed to disperse so they can reproduce.
Australia town consumed by 'hairy panic'
It looks innocent enough in small amounts
It can prove to be potentially fatal if sheep eat large quantities of the grass leading to the condition known as "yellow big head."
Wangaratta veterinary surgeon Richard Evans said the weed would lose its toxicity after it dries out.
He said: "The important thing is it's not going to kill people's dogs and cats, it just makes a hell of a mess."