Introduced water lettuce to my pond for added shade.
Was fine for 2-3 weeks, and checked the plants and found tons of tiny beetles on the underside and in the roots.
(Important variable: smaller wildlife pond, no fish - just snakes turtles, JTD snails, and frogs)
Took the time to take the dozens off the plant and roots like surgery and water lettuce (and parrot feather, don’t care if the PT stays or goes in the end) now quarantined in pond water in buckets as the bugs were eating all the roots and leaves.
Did a full sweep and didn’t find more on any plants in or out, except maybe 1 or 2 on unders of lily pads but the masses for the plant damage was on water lettuce.
I scoop the pond with a fine net and they’re still concentrated in the area the water lettuce was. .
From doing some googling it looks like water scavenger beetles?
They def prefer water and largely scatter when taken out
I may try to mess w the water current, and vacuumed on Friday night, may do it again.
I feel likely the bugs are there to stay but any ideas of how to keep and maintain the water lettuce alongside the bugs? Or non drastic beetle solutions?
Not planning to do full water changes, adding koi (maybe minnows the turtle will eat, if the minnow would eat the beetles), or anything else drastic or major.
Was fine for 2-3 weeks, and checked the plants and found tons of tiny beetles on the underside and in the roots.
(Important variable: smaller wildlife pond, no fish - just snakes turtles, JTD snails, and frogs)
Took the time to take the dozens off the plant and roots like surgery and water lettuce (and parrot feather, don’t care if the PT stays or goes in the end) now quarantined in pond water in buckets as the bugs were eating all the roots and leaves.
Did a full sweep and didn’t find more on any plants in or out, except maybe 1 or 2 on unders of lily pads but the masses for the plant damage was on water lettuce.
I scoop the pond with a fine net and they’re still concentrated in the area the water lettuce was. .
From doing some googling it looks like water scavenger beetles?
They def prefer water and largely scatter when taken out
I may try to mess w the water current, and vacuumed on Friday night, may do it again.
I feel likely the bugs are there to stay but any ideas of how to keep and maintain the water lettuce alongside the bugs? Or non drastic beetle solutions?
Not planning to do full water changes, adding koi (maybe minnows the turtle will eat, if the minnow would eat the beetles), or anything else drastic or major.
