Greater Shepparton City Council has encouraged people to keep an eye out for bindii — also known as caltrop — on council-managed property.
And if residents have the weed on their own land, to remove it and stop it spreading.
Council sport and recreation manager parks Tim Zak said spring and summer were the best times to control the noxious weed.
“With the warmer weather we have noticed bindii has really started to take off,” Mr Zak said.
“Residents may notice the patches starting to form the seed pods, which cause so much pain.
“Bindii are very easily spread once the seeds form. They stick to tyres and shoes and spread through parks, nature strips and lawns.
“The weed produces a large, hard spiny seed capsule that is capable of penetrating people’s skin, animals’ paws and fur, and bicycle tyres.”
Mr Zak urged residents to take a look around their own properties and the nature strips in their street and, if possible, dig out the weed.
“If everyone does a little bit close to home and reports infestations to council then together we can tackle the problem,” he said.
“Nobody wants to take their kids and dogs to the local park and not be able to enjoy the amenity because of painful prickles.”
Bindii can be controlled in a number of ways, including hand weeding, chipping and herbicide spraying.
Mr Zak said residents could phone council on 5832 9700 if they noticed bindii on nature strips, in parks, reserves or sportsgrounds, along council-owned roadsides or shared pathways.
He said it was important the weed was disposed of in the green lid organics bin and not the red lid waste bin.