Bob H wrote:

I can only assume it is due to the long winter and winds we had that my
gardens etc were absolutely covered in the dammed pods.

I think this year has been a particularly good year for them for some
reason. We have a big sycamore overhanging the back of our garden, and
its progeny have been coming up by the hundreds this spring. Our
neighbour has an area covered with bark, which was covered with the
things.

Is there any quick kill for these seedlings or do I just have to carry
on picking out? Also has anywhere else had a similar problem either now
or in the past?

They don't seem particularly hard to pull up by hand, so I'm content to
get them as and when I'm weeding anyway.

Peter