You've been given good advice. It's a rampantly invasive spreader that will take over vast areas rapidly. It's extremely hard to control, and will be even moreso in hard clay, as the roots are very thin and delicate and break easily. It also spreads by seed that are ejected forcibly through the air, so they land some distance from the mother plant and start new colonies. Also, the sap is caustic and any weeding efforts need to be done wearing gloves - and be cautious not to touch your skin while you're at it, to avoid blistering or even eye damage.

Thanks for the tips, The earwigs have been targeting my squash plants. All the squash plants I sowed directly in the garden never got beyond their first true leaves before the earwigs totally destroyed them. The one squash I planted out from my mini greenhouse is barely hanging on. I could use all the tips I can get. For some reason the earwigs seem to be fixated mainly on my squash seedlings, as most of my other vegetables are not being decimated. I will come out at night and find them munching on the leaves in groups. Will try the beer trap ideas and maybe the petroleum jelly.

Wow...that definitely looks like it. Since it was growing in the sand at the waterline I looked online at the emergent plants rather than floating ones. Plus, none of them were blooming so I didn't consider the photos with blooms. I see on another site (a TAMU sponsored site) that I need to report it to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Thanks for the replies! Who knew we were photographing an illegal plant?!

LOL. I thought you meant the swimmers! There are winter swim groups who swim in the dead of winter know as Polar Bear Clubs. The big event here is when the news cameras go down to Lake Michigan Shores on NYE and film them. Believe me it is COLD. There are ambulances lined up because the sightseers so often decide to join in and go running into the lake sometimes still wearing their NYE party hat and evening attire. Of course some attempt this feat nude, bolstered by the evening's consuption of alcohol. Hyerthermia ensues. Thanks for the cute polar bear cam pics. It was interesting.