By: Mark Tinkler
Submitted: 2010-09-20 09:33:52 | Word Count: 719
Aquatic plants are less more likely to be attacked by pests and diseases than those growing outside the pond. This really is very fortunate because chemical sprays must never be utilised in the pond, the effect on fish and insects that we would like in the pond may be disastrous. The fundamental control technique would be to take off the affected leaf or the whole plant, depending on the danger posed by the pest or disease. This aught to be done promptly before the problem gets out of hand. For some 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 put a piece of sacking over the foliage in order that it is 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 this is the failure of Water Lilies to flower properly. You will find a number 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 might be at the wrong depth or it could have been moved to deeper water too early. Shade might be one problem and so can water currents or the droplets from a fountain. If ever the plant has bloomed well in previous years then it may need feeding (use special fertilizer pellets or sachets pushed into the soil inside the planting basket), or it may just require dividing and repotting.
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Listed below are several of the most typical pests that you will find in your pond. Some of them require you to definitely do something and a few don't. Before I get onto them though, I would just like to mention the frog. I am including the frog mainly for interest rather than as a warning, as it is unlikely that this amphibian will ever cause any harm in your pond. But keep in mind that throughout the breeding season a male frog will cling very tightly to anything that moves, and very occasionally a fish will 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 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 usually 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 find usually a few egg sacks. Prorietary remedies are available, but the standard treatment is to touch the worm using a paint brush which is dipped in paraffin. Pull out the parasite using tweezers and dab the wound using a fish antiseptic.
Dropsy.
This is certainly an uncommon problem, but an extremely serious one. The body of the fish becomes bloated and the eyes protrude, but probably the most distinctive symptom is that the scales are raised to give the 'pine cone' effect associated with this disease. The experts cannot decide what causes dropsy. There may be several varieties of dropsy but it is thought that one type of dropsy is attributable to bacteria. You might 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 the which could occur in the pond, but there are a lot more. Maybe I will write about them in my next article if I have time.
Author Resource:-
I spend a lot of my spare time in my garden but I have to admit that almost all of it is spent either improving my pond or just sitting by it watching everything in the water live it's life. A lot of my fascination with ponds was created with the help of a gardener london company. They gave me all the help and advice that I needed as and when I asked them for it.
