Kudzu-Loving Sheep Make a Comeback Appearance

For a third consecutive year, Georgia Tech is getting the help of woolly, four-legged friends to help control one of the most invasive plants in the South — the dreaded kudzu.

“Managing a particularly overgrown area requires multiple grazing sessions with sheep,” says Jerry Young, landscape project manager in Facilities Management. “It is an eco-friendly way to remove pervasive vegetation because it doesn’t require the application of pesticides.”

By grazing on the kudzu leaves, or any vegetation within their reach, the sheep essentially deplete the root reserves. To optimize the effectiveness of this method, it is important to follow through by removing any remaining foliage and repeating the grazing process several times within 24 months.

According to Young, they are looking at other areas on campus that would benefit from this sustainable solution, especially as they continue to develop the campus Eco-Commons.

So if you see sheep on campus, let them be. They are hard at work.

The sheep are expected to remain on campus until Sunday, October 16.