Aquatic plants are less likely to be attacked by pests and diseases than those growing outside the pond. This is very fortunate because chemical sprays should never be utilised in the pond, the effect on fish and insects that we want within the pond can be disastrous. The basic control technique is 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 issue gets out of hand. For a few pests the leaves can 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 bit of sacking over the foliage so that it will be weighed down until the insects have drowned.
There is one common complaint which does not involve neither the pest nor disease - it’s purely cultural and that 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 may be at the wrong depth or it could have been moved to deeper water too early. Shade could be a problem and so can water currents or the droplets from a 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 just require dividing and repotting.
Here are a few of the most typical pests that you will find in your pond. Some of them require you to do something and some don't. Before I get on them though, I would just like to mention the frog. I am including the frog mainly for interest and not as being a warning, as it is unlikely that this amphibian will ever cause any harm within your pond. But do not forget that during the breeding season a male frog will cling very tightly to anything that moves, and very occasionally a fish could possibly get damaged and even killed by having its head tightly clasped from 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 belonging to the worm, Greyish-White and tubular. At the end of the worm there are 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 using a fish antiseptic.
Dropsy.
This is an uncommon problem, but an extremely serious one. The body of the fish becomes bloated and the eyes protrude, but 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 forms of dropsy but it is understood that one type of dropsy is the result of bacteria. You may sometimes see dropsy cures listed inside the catalogues and also the condition sometimes corrects itself, but the very best course of action is always to kill the fish humanely.
I have only listed Two your that may occur in your 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 most of it is spent either improving my pond or simply sitting by it watching the world in the water live it's life. A lot of my fascination with ponds was created using 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.
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