The least favorite season for "hayfever" sufferers will be rearing its ugly head again, ragweed season. Ragweed is a summer annual that is found throughout the United States and produces abundant pollen, a primary cause of hayfever. Being a hearty noxious weed, diseases really don't affect it much and about the only things that kill the plant are a lack of water or herbicides.

The picture shows ragweed pollen grains as they would appear when stained on a slide. The  pollen grains are collected on a rotating greased rod, then counted manually using a microscope. Ragweed, an easily distinguishable pollen, appears as a spiny ball in most cases.

Electron Microscope View:  As autumn approaches, not only are the pollen counts high, the mold count is also elevated, causing a two front battle for allergy sufferers.   Decomposition of plant material by molds leads to higher counts and a secondary assault on the respiratory system of the allergy sufferer. 

In an effort to aid those who suffer with allergies, the Department of Environmental Services has compiled "Living with Allergies" brochure.