Aquatic plants are less prone to be attacked by pests and diseases than those growing outside the pond. This is very fortunate because chemical sprays must never be used in the pond, the effect on fish and insects that we would like in the pond may be disastrous. The basic control technique is to take off the affected leaf or the entire plant, depending on the danger posed by the pest or disease. This should be done promptly before the problem gets out of hand. For a few pests the leaves may be sprayed with a forceful jet of water to clean away the insects into the pond and into the mouths of grateful fish. Another technique used is to place a piece of sacking over the foliage so that it will be weighed down until the insects have drowned.
There's one common complaint which doesn't involve neither the pest nor disease - it is purely cultural and that is the failure of Water Lilies to flower properly. You can find a quantity of causes of poor or absent flowers. The plant may not have reached flowering size or it could have been planted incorrectly. With a mature plant it might be at the wrong depth or it may have been moved to deeper water too early. Shade can be a problem and so can water currents or the droplets from your fountain. If the plant has bloomed well in previous years then it may require feeding (use special fertilizer pellets or sachets pushed into the soil inside the planting basket), or it may require dividing and repotting.
Listed here are a few of the most typical pests that you might find in your pond. Some of them require you to definitely do something and a few don't. Before I get on them though, I would like to mention the frog. I am including the frog mainly for interest and not as a warning, as it is unlikely that this amphibian will ever cause any harm within your pond. But keep in mind that through the breeding season a male frog will cling very tightly to anything that moves, and very occasionally a fish could possibly get damaged or even killed by having its head tightly clasped by the legs of the well meaning but over-amorous frog.
Anchor Worm.
This skin parasite is without doubt one of the causes of obvious distress with the fish swimming rapidly around in circles. When the scales are examined a raised bump will be seen - the site of the embedded barbed head of this pest. From this affected area hangs the body of the worm, Greyish-White and tubular. At the end of the worm you will discover usually several egg sacks. Prorietary remedies are available, but the conventional treatment is to touch the worm with a paint brush which has been dipped in paraffin. Pull out the parasite using tweezers and dab the wound with a fish antiseptic.
Dropsy.
This is an uncommon problem, but a terribly serious one. The body of the fish becomes bloated and the eyes protrude, but the most distinctive symptom is that the scales are raised to give the 'pine cone' effect related to this disease. The experts cannot decide what causes dropsy. There may well be several forms of dropsy but it is understood that one kind of dropsy is the result of bacteria. You will sometimes see dropsy cures listed inside the catalogues and the condition sometimes corrects itself, but the very best course of action is to kill the fish humanely.
I have only listed Two in that may occur in your pond, but you will discover considerably more. Maybe I will write about them in my next article if I’ve time.
Author Resource:-
I spend a lot of my spare time in my garden but I have to admit that most of it is spent either improving my pond or simply sitting by it watching the world in the water live it's life. A great deal of my fascination with ponds was created with the help of a gardener london company. They gave me all the assistance and advice that I needed as and when I asked them for it.coupon host gator
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.natureezine.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
