Help!!

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So, I was working on completing my first pond and waterfall today when I stumbled upon a yellow jackets nest right next to my waterful creation :banghead3:. Being HIGHLY allergic, I went and grabbed the wasp and hornet spray and went to town. In the middle(thinking more about getting stung than contaminating my pond) of spraying the insecticide, my pond was contaminated. I drained the pond, rinsed, filled back up, drained, rinsed and repeated several times but I still have an oily film on the top of the water. What can I use to clean the pond and liner that wont later hurt fish or plants?? Any help would be apprieciated as I am new to the forum, and the hobby.

Thanks in advance!!
 

DrDave

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Soap and a brush, followed by several rinses should do it. You might even start with 409. Put a feeder goldfish in for a day or 2 before adding any important fish.
 
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Thanks for the help. I scrubbed (well, had my wife scrub) the pond out, and it seems to be doing just fine so far with some feeders in it. Time will tell. I appreciate the help.
 

DrDave

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Sprays such as malathion and others that don't kill your fish can cause paralysys and deformity. I have to keep my wife away from my ponds when she is attacking the bugs on her flowers.
 

oldmarine

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I learned this one from a local exterminator.

If you locate a unwanted or badly located bee hive or hornits nest. Leave alone until after dark when the little buggers are in their nest.

Using a quality spray bottle that will spray at least ten feet. Fill it with water and add about a half tablespoon of just plain, cheap dish soap. (Biodegradable soap is even better). Then saturate the nest with the soapy water. The bees and/or hornets will tumble out and die quickly. If they happen to continue to move when they hit the ground, spray them some more.

Soapy water makes bees, wasps and hornets sufocate.

By using this method, you will be doing the "going green thing that everyone is raving about".

I was skeptical until I used the soap and water on several harnets nests myself.
 

DrDave

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Thats a cool idea. We get swarms once in a while that hang out for a few days. I have just left them alone and they eventually leave. I worry that they may get stirred up and go after us or my cat when they are here.
 

oldmarine

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Sure is less expense, and it doesn't harm anything living in or around a pond.

I was really suprised as to how fast the hornets died. It was within minutes of exposure to the soapy water.

In respect to all of us ponders, I would suggest using a liquid soap that is biodegradable. If any residue happened to get to our pond water, it might be broken down enough to not do any harm to our fish.
 

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