Table of Contents
YouGov conducted a survey that found the majority of British adults are aware of the dangers posed by Japanese knotweed. Here, we’ve summarised the main points and offered some commentary on them.
75% of the adult population in the UK have heard about japanese knotweed
This unprecedented level of familiarity can, we believe, be traced back to extensive media coverage over the past few years. The percentage rises with age, starting at 39% among those aged 18-24 and peaking at 91% among those aged 55 and up. It would appear that as we grow older, we also gain wisdom.
As might be expected, this percentage rises in severely impacted regions; for instance, 95% of respondents in Wales reported being familiar with Japanese knotweed.
Of the adults who were aware of Japanese knotweed, 78% said it would prevent them from purchasing a home.
Concern that knotweed can’t always be eradicated or removed was cited as the primary reason for hesitation by 65% of men and 73% of women. The time, effort, and cost involved in uprooting the plant were also mentioned as barriers to its elimination (55%, 57%, and 56%).
Japanese knotweed could affect up to 5% of homes in the UK
To calculate the 5% figure, we define “properties affected” as those with Japanese Knotweed either on the property or in close proximity. YouGov’s findings back up this estimate, showing that 3% of people who are familiar with Japanese Knotweed say it was present on their previous property and 2% say it was present on their neighbor’s property.
Fewer than 4% of people who said they wouldn’t buy a house because of Japanese knotweed said they’d actually had a bad experience with the invasive plant. It appears that the issue is expanding in size.
Of those who were aware of Japanese knotweed, 67% felt that it would decrease property values
More than 40% predicted a decrease in value of 10%-20%.
Many factors, including extent, influence on adjacent properties, property type, value, etc., and what can be agreed upon between a willing buyer and a willing seller, will determine the amount of the value reduction.
In our experience, you can mitigate a loss in value once you have a management plan in place. With an Insurance backed guarantee, buyers know that the problem is being dealt with correctly and legally, ensuring that they have no problems in the future.
Conclusion
When asked whether they knew you could get rid of Japanese knotweed using an excavation, only 23% of knew this was a viable solution
There was little to no difference in this number when adjusting for age, sexual orientation, or geographic location. Knotweed rhizome removal is preferred to herbicide treatment in the business world.
Respondents’ lack of knowledge can be traced back to the abundance of knotweed businesses only providing herbicide treatment solutions.
This is not the case here at Knotweed Services – we have several methods for successful removal and all of them have a 100% success rate. Each infestation is unique and our strategies for removal are individually tailored for each project. Rest assured, we can deal with any size Japanese Knotweed infestation no matter the complexity or location. Get in touch with us today!
Find out more about our residential treatments and our commercial treatments.
