Aquatic plants are less prone to be attacked by pests and diseases than those growing outside the pond. That is very fortunate because chemical sprays must never be utilised in the pond, the effect on fish and insects that we would like within the pond could be disastrous. The basic control technique is to remove the affected leaf or the entire plant, depending on the danger posed from the pest or disease. This aught to be done promptly before the problem gets out of hand. For a few pests the leaves could be sprayed with a forceful jet of water to wash away the insects into the pond and into the mouths of grateful fish. Another technique used is to put a piece of sacking over the foliage in order that it will be weighed down until the insects have drowned.
There is one common complaint which doesn't involve neither the pest or the disease - it’s purely cultural and that is the failure of Water Lilies to flower properly. There are a quantity of causes of poor or absent flowers. The plant might not have reached flowering size or it might have been planted incorrectly. With a mature plant it could be at the wrong depth or it might of been moved to deeper water too early. Shade might be one problem and so can water currents or the droplets from your fountain. If the plant has bloomed well in previous years then it may need feeding (use special fertilizer pellets or sachets pushed into the soil within the planting basket), or it may require dividing and repotting.
Listed here are a few of the most common pests that you will find in the pond. A number of them require you to definitely do something and a few don't. Before I get on to them though, I would like to mention the frog. I am including the frog mainly for interest and not as a warning, as it will be unlikely that this amphibian will ever cause any harm in your pond. But do not forget- throughout the breeding season a male frog will cling very tightly to anything that moves, and very occasionally a fish can get damaged and even killed by having its head tightly clasped from the legs of the well meaning but over-amorous frog.
Anchor Worm.
This skin parasite is likely one of the causes of obvious distress with the fish swimming rapidly around in circles. When the scales are examined a raised bump is often seen - the site of the embedded barbed head of this pest. From this affected area hangs the body belonging to the worm, Greyish-White and tubular. At the end of the worm you will discover usually a few egg sacks. Prorietary remedies can be found, but the standard treatment is to touch the worm with a paint brush which is dipped in paraffin. Pull out the parasite using tweezers and dab the wound with a fish antiseptic.
Dropsy.
This is an uncommon problem, but an exceptionally serious one. The body of the fish becomes bloated and also the eyes protrude, but probably the most distinctive symptom is the scales are raised to present the 'pine cone' effect related to this disease. The experts cannot decide what causes dropsy. There may be several kinds of dropsy but it is known that one type of dropsy is caused by bacteria. You may sometimes see dropsy cures listed inside the catalogues and also the condition sometimes corrects itself, but the best course of action is always to kill the fish humanely.
I have only listed Two in that can occur in your pond, but there are considerably more. Maybe I will write about them in my next article if I’ve time.
Author Resource:
I spend a great deal 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 everything in the water live it's life. A lot of my fascination with ponds was created while using help of a gardener london company. They gave me all the assistance and advice that I needed when I asked them for it.
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