Paintball Guns Shoot Herbicide

(Kula, Maui)

The newest weapon for scientists in the fight against an invasive plant in Hawaii is already familiar, at least to those who use it for fun.

Researchers call it "Herbicide Ballistic Technology," or HBT. It looks a lot like a paintball game, but it's not a game, and the gun isn't shooting paintballs. It's shooting little balls containing herbicide.

The technology was developed in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management at the University of Hawaii. "The process and manufacturing of these herbicide capsules is identical to the processing of the paintballs used in recreation," said Dr. James Leary, an assistant specialist for Invasive Plant Species Management in the department, in a video made during training in 2008. "But instead of targeting people in recreation, we're targeting incipient weeds in these natural areas."

If herbicide can be shot from a paintball gun, I imagine just about any liquid could be shot, maybe even a substance deadly to humans.