Aquatic plants are less prone to be attacked by pests and diseases than those growing outside the pond. This is very fortunate because chemical sprays must never be utilised in the pond, the effect on fish and insects that we want within the pond may be disastrous. The fundamental control technique is to remove the affected leaf or the entire plant, depending on the danger posed from the pest or disease. This should be done promptly before the situation gets out of hand. For some 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 will be 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 that is the failure of Water Lilies to flower properly. You can find a quantity 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 may be in the wrong depth or it might have been moved to deeper water too early. Shade might be one problem and so can water currents or the droplets from the fountain. If ever 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 just require dividing and repotting.
Here are several of the most common pests that you may find within your pond. A number of them require you to definitely take action and a few don't. Before I get on them though, I would just like to mention the frog. I am including the frog mainly for interest rather than as being a warning, as it will be unlikely that this amphibian will ever cause any harm within your pond. But remember that 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 from 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 can 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 you will find usually a few egg sacks. Prorietary remedies are available, but the standard 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 is certainly an uncommon problem, but a terribly serious one. The body of the fish becomes bloated and the eyes protrude, but probably 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 might be several types of dropsy and it is thought that one type of dropsy is the result of bacteria. You will sometimes see dropsy cures listed inside the catalogues and the condition sometimes corrects itself, but the best course of action is always to kill the fish humanely.
I have only listed Two within that can occur in your pond, but you can find considerably more. Maybe I will write about them in my next article if I’ve time.
Author Resource:
I spend quite a lot of my spare time in my garden but I must admit that the majority of it is spent either improving my pond or just sitting by it watching everything in the water live it's life. A great deal 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.
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