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 used in the pond, the effect on fish and insects that we want in the pond can be disastrous. The basic control technique is to remove the affected leaf or the whole plant, depending on the danger posed by the pest or disease. This should be done promptly before the problem gets out of hand. For some pests the leaves can be sprayed with a forceful jet of water to wash 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 so that it is weighed down until the insects have drowned.
There is one common complaint whch does not involve neither the pest nor disease - it is purely cultural and is the failure of Water Lilies to flower properly. There are a number of causes of poor or absent flowers. The plant may not have reached flowering size or it may have been planted incorrectly. With a mature plant it may 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 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 inside the planting basket), or it may just require dividing and repotting.
Here are a few of the most common pests that you will find in your pond. Some of them require you to take action and some don't. Before I get on to them though, I would just like to mention the frog. I am including the frog for interest rather than as a warning, as it is unlikely that this amphibian will ever cause any harm in your pond. But remember that during the breeding season a male frog will cling very tightly to anything that moves, and very occasionally a fish can get damaged or 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 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 of the worm, Greyish-White and tubular. At the end of the worm there are usually a couple of egg sacks. Prorietary remedies are available, but the standard treatment is to touch the worm with a paint brush which has been dipped in paraffin. Pull out the parasite using tweezers and dab the wound with a fish antiseptic.
Dropsy.
This is an uncommon problem, but a very 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 well be several forms of and it is known that one type of drosy is caused by bacteria. You will sometimes see dropsy cures listed in the catalogues and the condition sometimes corrects itself, but the best course of action is to kill the fish humanely.
I have only listed Two problems that can occur in the pond, but there are a lot more. Maybe I will write about them in my next article if I have time.
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