Weeds becoming widespread problem in the valley, homeowners urged to take action

PHOENIX (FOX 10) - Maybe you've noticed them out in the desert or in your yard. We're talking about weeds - a lot of them.

It's like they sprouted overnight and are growing quickly. It's definitely a problem that homeowners will want to tackle sooner rather than later.

We talked to an expert about how to tackle the weeds in our yards and he said it's all about timing. You can get them before they crop up or after, but you should really go after weeds and not let them rule your yard, because they will take over.

It can be a jungle out there. People's yards across the valley are experiencing a weed explosion. Eli Hall of Arizona Lawn says weeds love rain followed by heat.

"The weeds [and] seeds that are on the ground germinate and you just get weeds everywhere," Hall said.

One homeowner in Tempe hired Hall's company to deal with the thick weeds. Hall says a pre-emergent chemical would've prevented weeds from taking over the yard.

"You can put down a protective barrier, a product," Hall said. "A pre-emergent that prevents weeds. You put it down and it basically acts as birth control for weeds."

If the weeds have already popped up, Hall recommends a chemical like Roundup. You could also just get down and weed by hand, but Hall says that's not efficiently and, importantly, not effective.

"What ends up happening [is] you can get the entire root out of the ground, and the next rain, they just start coming right back," Hall said. "I'm sure a lot of people have experienced that."

The cost for this job, which includes weed killer in an average backyard is about $200 dollars.