Nobody, at the moment, is concerned with aquatic pests in their surface waters right now, but spring is right around the corner!
When treating your pond for any aquatic pest (plants, algae) it is better to do so sooner, rather than later. If the water has a pest infestation that goes untreated or simply ignored, the pest will take over the pond and the problem will be infinitely larger. If that happens there will need to be multiple chemical applications to maintain the nuisance, meaning to regain control it will cost 3-5 times more. Not to mention, this scenario will have an increase in the chances of it happening again when favorable conditions arise due to dormancy or seed bank production.
The reason why an application might have to happen more than once is at a certain point if there is enough of the waters’ surface that is covered by plants or algae. By treating and killing the nuisance, those dead cells will fall to the bottom and decompose. Decomposers and other microorganisms use up a great deal of oxygen. A significant drop in dissolved oxygen can, and most likely will, cause a fish kill and serious issues for other aquatic animals.
The #1 reported pest we see here, in North Texas, is Filamentous Algae. Filamentous Algae starts to bloom sooner than vegetation or aquatic plants. While it is easy to control a minor bloom, it can turn into a major bloom quickly! Once the filamentous Algae has matured at the bottom of the pond, it ascends and tries to reach the surface for the sunlight. Eventually, it will die on its own and return to the bottom of the pond, delivering its’ nutrients to other forms of algae and vegetation that are growing. The longer vegetation goes untreated, the more seeds it will produce, the more biomass the plants will grow themselves, and the cycles of growing and reproducing continue. A good option is to treat as soon as you notice growth, but the best option is to pre-treat and predictively manage to never have this issue in the first place!
However, not all aquatic plants are bad – some are great for fish habitat. There is a delicate balance of having and maintaining a healthy ecosystem in a pond. That is why we recommend regular treatments, ranging from once to twice a month, to maintain the full potential of being aesthetically pleasing and a healthy environment for aquatic life.
