Help! My water celery and marsh marigold are being devastated by what look like immature katydids or crickets. I have tried just washing them off to drown the little devils a few times but it is only a very temporary fix. I have an insect friendly policy in general, and went out of my way to plant a bunch of caterpillar larval plants this year, but I don't want my plants to die. Do any of you have any suggestions of what I can use to eliminate or at least control unwanted insects on water plants that won't be toxic to my fish, water snails, tadpoles etc?
insect pest control for the water garden
I saw a spray on ebay that is pond friendly (primarily for aphids on water lilies) I'll try to see if I can find it again to get a name. I have used rubbing alcohol in a mist bottle before, with not much impact on the water. I also tried hard to make sure not much got in the pond, and also rinsed the leaves afterward with the hose. I remember seeing that in another forum.
what about using one of those bug zapping lights close to the pond at night?
You may be seeing a hatching of lubbers...the big southern grasshoppers. They most likely will not be attracted to the light to get zapped. If they are all contained on one leaf, cut the leaf off and wrap in in a plastic bag and throw them away. Lights at night, can also bring in moths, who's catepillars can really do damage of their own.
well I put a solar light over my pond hoping insects would be drawn there after dark and the fish would eat them. Never thought of the moth thing. Was the light a bad idea? Another reason I did it is cause I have some bull frogs and I hope to lure in bugs so they won't eat my fish. I already caught one huge frog and hauled him off. I KNOW he ate one of my favorite fish. :(
How about some beneficial insects? Preying mantis will eat most any insect - this also includes your butterflies, dragonflies, etc.
I still use solar lights around my pond, even if it brings bugs. It also causes a reflection on the surface of the water, so the predators can't see the koi. It's worked very well so far. I think it's all about which nemesis annoys you the most.
Thanks for all of the suggestions, folks. The leaves of my water celery have been completely stripped, and the critters eating them don't look like they fly so I don't think a light would work. I have a new bullfrog in my pond this year (I have seen him a few times), and I sure hope he doesn't eat my fish! My pond is only three years old, so the ecosystem is still finding its way. I mostly leave the food chains to work themselves out, but I admit I worry about my little frogs and toads. My yard is awash in miniscule American and Fowler's toads at the moment, and they can't all survive.
I did find a recipe for a natural bug spray made up of one gallon hot water, plus one tsp each of dish soap, vegetable oil and cayenne pepper, leave it to sit in the sun for a day, then spray it on to the plant. I am going to try it out and will let you know if it works.
Just thought I'd let y'all know that the natural bug spray seems to have worked. Both my marsh marigolds and water celery are happily making new leaves with no sign of bugs. No sign it bothered the fish, either.
For a couple of years now, we've been using different things to make the plants taste bad to get rid of red lily beetles. Right now the spray we're using is for deer, but keeps everything off, and it is made with nontoxic essential oils, wih a smell of clove.
At the pet warehouse we get a bitter spray made for animals to keep them from licking or biting their own sore spots. There is also one for horse manes. The one name you can probably get all over is Grannick's bitter apple. A word of caution: if you spray it, wear a mask and gloves, especially if it is windy. When the bitter apple gets on you lips, it is REALLY bitter. Also, as it is not oil based, when it rains, you need to re-apply.
These sprays are not offensive, they just taste bad to the dining bug. We use them because we also grow vegetables (and often eat right out of the garden), so they are definitely nontoxic.
Thanks, Cathy, that sounds easier than mixing up something that will ferment if I leave it out. My bugs are gone so far from my original spraying of my concoction, but the stuff rotted. I'll try for the Grannick's bitter apple. Maybe it will work for my deer and rabbits, too, and smell better than liquid fence.
Turttle
If you have fish, check out the contents of the clove oil in these sprays. Clove oil is used as an anesthetic on koi. http://www.pondpetsusa.com/medications/anesthetic.html
Yes, we use clove oil on our koi when we need to remove them from the pond for medical treatment. I would be cautious.