MOOSIC, PA. Sheep-O-Matic method focuses on stamping out weed problem

MOOSIC, Pa. (AP) -- Tall grass and out-of-control bamboo shoots have created a problem along a creek here as they collect debris.
"Pesticides are expensive and they pollute the water," Moosic Borough Council President Joseph Mercatili said, adding that mowing only works for a couple of weeks.
Enter Sheep-O-Matic Vegetation Control. The company approached the borough of Moosic about using dozens of sheep to eat the weeds, offering a month of service for $1,200. Council members were skeptical, so owners Joe Kukla Sr. and his son Joe Jr., both of Old Forge, offered a free two-week tryout.
"We'll see what kind of a job they do. You have to keep an open mind," Mercatili said, adding that he was impressed with what he saw Thursday.
The grazing method isn't immediate; not even the Kuklas could say how long it would take for their flock to finish the weeds along Springbrook Creek.
"That's what we're here to find out," Joe Kukla Jr. said.
But they said their method was better than other ways to control weeds. The owners said bamboo cannot tolerate grazing as well as grass, and the stomping action of the sheep compacts the weeds and gives grass a chance to grow.
"It's healthy for the environment," the younger Kukla said. "The sheep provide fertilizer and the hoof action aerates the soil."