Aquatic Weeds: Chop Em, Haul Em, Spray Em!
“Chop Em, Haul Em, Spray Em!” This sounds a lot like my hashbrown order at Waffle House. Approaching an aquatic weed/aquatic vegetation issue, including filamentous algae can be tricky. There are a lot of different species and a lot of different responses to the approach that you take. Sometimes leaving a small amount behind can be acceptable, but sometimes complete eradication is the answer for species that will regrow fast and take over a pond or lake. There are three categories of controlling aquatic vegetation and Louisiana Pond Management employs all three. This is the second entry in our three part blog series on approaching issues with pond weeds and algae. Stay tuned!
Part 2:
Biological Solutions | Grass Carp & Beneficial Bacteria: Godzilla for Pond Weeds
Using biological control, you have to usually take that with a dose of patience and you also want to specifically know the method and the target vegetation. Grass carp do not eat all vegetation and they certainly have preferences, so stocking them to control cattails, water hyacinth, and/or filamentous algae is generally not a good approach and you will be disappointed. Stocking grass carp with the idea that they will control several species that could enter your pond over time, or if it is to specifically control a plant that grass carp do prefer, (southern niaid, hydrilla) then grass carp is a great option. If your pond is choked with the species, it will take time to reverse the growth. One other limitation is that Wildlife & Fisheries in Louisiana will only allow ten grass carp per acre for stocking, and it does require a $50 permit. Tilapia can not be used in the state of Louisiana for vegetation control, however certain species of tilapia have been used for vegetation and algae control in other states like Texas. As the water cools in the wintertime, bass harvest the remaining tilapia, as they will not survive winter temperatures below 50 degrees fahrenheit.
There are other biological approaches. Use of beneficial bacteria can help to consume nutrients and help organic material degrade. This helps to keep ponds from aging due to excessive sludge and also removes nutrients that would be available to grow new vegetation. Also, insects have been used to control alligator weed as well as giant salvinia.
We have over 35 years of collective experience in treating ponds for aquatic vegetation. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you want to improve your pond or lake.
(225) 308-4145 info@louisianapondmanagement.com
