Creepy crawlies ID?

[Bill Brakes]

Hi all, as suggested in the Introductions thread I am a water garden newbie posting photos here of ‘things’ in our new half-barrel aquatic garden. Hundreds of them hanging to the inside wall of the barrel. Look like something in the early stages of development. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Really not sure!

they almost look like the jelly wrapped seeds of a water lily, but the tail on them is different than a water lily seed bunch. do the squiggle/move or are they just floating around?

 

[Bill Brakes]

Hi, thanks for the reply, they mostly hang upside down below the water line as if by those tails, around the edge of the barrel. They also swim, a few at a time and yesterday three or four were intertwining on the surface. Quite weird.

 

[j.w]

Wow weird and not Black Fly Larvae!

 

[addy1]

Never have seen that. Very neat looking though!

 

[Bill Brakes]

Thanks for the reply. I will try for better photos tomorrow.

 

[Gemma]

Sorry, I've never seen them either!
...if you figure out what they are, please let us know

 

[j.w]

I believe it is a Rat Tailed Maggot : https://river-life.org.uk/wildlife/invertebrates/rat-tailed-maggot/

 

[Bill Brakes]

Aha very many thanks. I think you are right. Now I will read up what to do about them, if anything. Thanks again.

 

[Lisak1]

Ah good call @j.w !

I have to say those are indeed weird! But it sounds like you don't really need to do anything to get rid of them - they will grow out of this stage and leave the water. However, if you want to prevent them in the future, you need more water movement as they like stagnant nutrient rich water. Do you have any kind of aeration or fountain moving the water?

 

[Bill Brakes]

Hi, yes there’s a pump that runs a couple of hours a day but you’re right, it seems they are actually beneficial and in their last stage become hoverflies and are beneficial in the garden. Thanks for the reply, and to all other replies. All solved in half a day.

 

[addy1]

Aha very many thanks. I think you are right. Now I will read up what to do about them, if anything. Thanks again.

Adult hoverflies are important pollinators of terrestrial plants.

I would leave them be, sounds like a good thing!

 

[Bill Brakes]

z

Adult hoverflies are important pollinators of terrestrial plants.

I would leave them be, sounds like a good thing!

Definitely will leave.

 

[JamieB]

I’ve seen those! Yep, still nutrition rich water, the algae had boomed, the fish loved it all, and I only saw them where wind wasn’t moving water a lot and fish couldn’t get to them. That’s before I had a pump, and had catfish in the pool pond.