To Brady Cool, 13, and his brother Cody, 11, witchgrass can be plenty of fun as they try to stick the bushy brown foliage down the back of each other’s shirts.

But witchgrass has been nothing but a pain for many Wagga residents, accumulating on fences and across roads and blocking covered areas around the house.

“Witchgrass is as bad this year as we have ever seen it,” NSW Industry and Investment technical specialist Nigel Phillips said.

“It’s rapidly increased in the past 10 years, dominating pastures smacked around by droughts.

“The conditions of the past 12 months – a short spring combined with summer rainfall – have resulted in the witchgrass going beserk again this year.”

Witchgrass and hairy panic can cause deaths in livestock, but represent no danger to humans unless eaten.

Nigel said witchgrass is often mistaken for hairy panic, however, it’s important to distinguish beteween the pair.

“They are closely related and have similar traits, but witchgrass is an introduced weed from North America whereas hairy panic is a native perennial,” he said.

While many fences on the outskirts of Wagga still have witchgrass trapped in their wires, the changing of the seasons from autumn to winter will soon see the foliage disappear.

“Because it sits up off the ground, witchgrass takes a while to break down,” Nigel said.

“It hangs around until there is significant rainfall and winter sets in.”