Twelve inches of snow the other day got me thinking about summer. As I was pushing the heavy snow with my shovel, my mind began longing for lengthier days, hot afternoons, barbecues, beers, and boat rides.

While summer in Wisconsin is beautiful, my yard isn’t always as pretty. Mainly, I blame my neighbor, but it’s really my own fault. While the fields of dandelions which appear every year in my neighbor’s backyard are more prevalent than the far fewer dandelions that grow behind my house, there are still a lot of them.

Why are they there? Because dandelions that grow behind your home are like bacteria that grow in food facilities. Or, put differently, bacteria in food facilities are like dandelions in your backyard.

When introduced, they can take root, grow, and then quickly spread to other places. Like, from my neighbor’s yard into mine. And, when dandelions make the transition from dandelions into blowballs, the dandelion puffs quickly become very mobile. Whether disturbed by my neighbor’s lawnmower, kids playing in the yard, or a slight breeze, the dandelion puffs can (and will) be released. They become stuck to the lawnmower’s wheels, the children’s shoes, or the air which is blowing them. Unfortunately, like bacteria, they move effortlessly (most times completely unseen) from one area to another. And, once they spread, they continue to grow, and grow, and grow — just like Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli.

So, how do we get rid of dandelions? Either by cursing at our neighbors (which, rarely proves successful), or by using lots and lots of chemicals. But, even with chemical application, some dandelions may nevertheless survive, and new ones are continuously being reintroduced. Indeed, allowing even a single dandelion in the furthest corner of a single yard can eventually turn into a blowball and contaminate the entire neighborhood.

So, when thinking about environmental control, and educating your company leadership, consider putting the existence of positive environmental findings into the context of a dandelion. If you see one in the yard, you need to get rid of it, and get rid of it fast. Because, if you linger, and take your time, dandelions will be everywhere.

Also remember, if and when you do see a dandelion puff, you should always ask “what is the root source.” The “root source” of a dandelion puff discovered clinging to the top an outdoor gas grill could have easily originated from a single spot in your own yard hundreds of feet away.

In the end, dandelions are like bacteria, and blowballs are bad.

Blowballs and bacteria

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