The best tips for avoiding coming into contact with burrs is to know the hiking areas plants before you start off and to learn if the plants where you plan to hike contain burrs. If you are not sure, or it’s a new hiking area, try to avoid walking through long grasses or near dry areas where burrs tend to propagate.

Burrs are essentially a clingy vehicle that some plants use to spread their seed pods far and wide. To this end, burrs are covered in “hooks” that look like spikes that serve to help them attach themselves onto objects. They range in size from tiny enough that you don’t quite notice them to fairly large and can even be a litte painful to remove depending on their size and method of attachment. Some burrs sit on the surface, whereas others can penetrate the skin and become painful.

Burrs, like other plants, must spread their seeds in order to grow — but unlike other plants, they do this in a somewhat annoying way. They attach themselves onto a moving “host” which can often mean your clothes, hair, or pet in order to spread their seed pods. Read on to find out what burrs are, where they come from and how you can avoid them.

Burrs often attach themselves to your clothes, your hair, or your pet’s hair/fur and can be frustrating to remove. If there are only a few and they are the kind of burr that sits on the surface, they can be removed gently using your hands, but if they are matted in or are the type that penetrate the skin, they may require a bit more care. Follow these simple steps to remove them and dispose of them properly:

Burrs are commonly considered to be pesky as they often attach themselves to your clothes, hair, or pet if you get too close. Why do they do it? Read on to learn what burrs are and how to get rid of them safely.