By: Stephen Drummonsy
Submitted: 2010-09-20 09:21:22 | Word Count: 712
Aquatic plants are less prone to be attacked by pests and diseases than those growing outside the pond. This really 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 can be disastrous. The fundamental control technique would be to take off the affected leaf or the entire plant, depending on the danger posed from the pest or disease. This should 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 clean away the insects into the pond and into the mouths of grateful fish. Another technique used is to place a bit of sacking over the foliage in order that it is weighed down until the insects have drowned.
There is one common complaint which doesn't involve neither the pest nor disease - it’s purely cultural and that is the failure of Water Lilies to flower properly. There are a number of causes of poor or absent flowers. The plant might not have reached flowering size or it could have been planted incorrectly. With a mature plant it could 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 within the planting basket), or it may require dividing and repotting.
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Here are a couple of of the most common pests that you will find in your pond. A number of them require you to take action 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 is unlikely that this amphibian will ever cause any harm within your pond. But do not forget- through 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 by the legs of a well meaning but over-amorous frog.
Anchor Worm.
This skin parasite is one of the causes of obvious distress with your 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. On the end of the worm you will find usually several egg sacks. Prorietary remedies are available, but the conventional 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 really is an uncommon problem, but an incredibly serious one. The body of the fish becomes bloated and also the eyes protrude, but the most distinctive symptom is the scales are raised to present the 'pine cone' effect associated with this disease. The experts cannot decide what causes dropsy. There may be several kinds of dropsy and it is known that one type of dropsy is the result of bacteria. You might 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 problems that may occur in your pond, but there are a lot 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 must admit that almost all of it is spent either improving my pond or just sitting by it watching the world in the water live it's life. A large amount of my fascination with ponds was created using 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.
