Backswimmers under the ice

[MitchM]

I've been noticing backswimmers around the heater and I was wondering if anybody knows if they are known to bother goldfish or koi, even with the lower water temperatures?
I thought the cold weather would have killed them off earlier in the season.
My pond has been frozen over since mid October.

 

[Mmathis]

What is a backswimmer?

 

[MitchM]

Nasty water bugs that can inflict a bite that feels like a sting from a wasp

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Notonectidae

 

[Mmathis]

Thanks. Watched a few You Tube videos as well. Can't recall ever seeing one.

 

[capewind]

Interesting question... Now I am wondering how big of a wound they, and similar species (boatsman, water crickets and dragonfly nympths) can inflict???

Had a funky injury to a fish this year... a literal hole in the face of a 10-12" butterfly koi... Not "big" by any means, but it was clear a chunk of flesh was gone... Nothing else seen on the fish, normal behaviors, etc... Healed now, and nothing else showed up on this fish or anyone else... As far as we can see, there is nothing in/around the pond that could have caused it... was thinking maybe a bird of some sort, now wondering...

 

[MitchM]

Last August/September I had hundreds in my pond. I read that they are a food for trout, and we have some trout streams around here. They have no problem flying stream to stream.
This fall I witnessed these backswimmers attack wasps that had dropped to the pond to drink. They would grab the wasp and drag it under. Pretty incredible to watch.
I hope they're not attacking the fish as they're in their dormant state.

 

[capewind]

Sound pretty evil! Hopefully someone more "in the know" about them will chime in... I know the dragonfly nymphs can be vicious to babies, but I have never given any thoughts to the potential of injury to a larger fish... I always thought it was neat to see different creatures hanging out in the pond... I would really like to believe that Charlene's (was Charlie til it was obvious HE was a SHE) injury was a bird! I was thinking today how easy picking some of our fish are now. Our Goromo was sunbathing near the edge today for a while. I was much happier when he decided to go back down 3-4 feet with the rest of the crew.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Backswimmer is a "lively" bug and it swims on its back, using two fringed legs to propel it though water. It hunts tadpoles and beetle larvae, maybe the odd baby fish too. I have seen them out in the prairie, where a prairie pond pond was created by a natural spring that comes from a nearby hillside. This spring never stops, it flows in the winter out thru the pond and down to the praire wetland. I have seen them come out on a nice day and swim in this pond/ stream even with ice, they can be seen swimming. I have also on rare occassion seen the odd one in the bottom pond with the smaller fish.