Water Soldiers taking over my pond

[lovingmypondgirl]

My water soldiers have gone beserk and are filling up my pond so much so that starlings were having a marvellous bath on top of the pond such is the thickness of the soldiers this morning. I also have newts in my pond and am worried about getting rid of some of the water soldiers in case i end up throwing away newt eggs as well , as i've been told they wrap their eggs up in the plants . What is the best way of thinning them out . Should i take the biggest out , the smallest, the top ones, the bottom ones . Any advice would be much appreciated , Thanks, Annette

 

[addy1]

Can you pull them out and inspect? will take time but I don't know of any other way to not throw out the newt eggs.

 

[lovingmypondgirl]

What sort of thing am i looking for. Are they quite easy to spot ? Are they going to be more at the bottom of the pond ? So many questions , sorry . I don't mind inspecting every one. Didn't realise how quickly water soldiers took over a small patch of water. They must be really happy .

 

[addy1]

Here is a link to what they look like, I have never heard of water soldiers, and we don't have any newts here, well that I know of.

hope it helps.

http://www.google.com/search?q=newt...xFqfZ0QHcoP3cCg&ved=0CCIQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=680

 

[fishin4cars]

From what I'm reading the young plants or outer plants will be next years adults. I appears that you would want to remove the center and move outward to get it going. as for inspecting them for the eggs, I'm not sure, wish I could help, Interesting plant, never seen it before but I wouldn't mind giving it a try if I ever spot any over here in the states.
http://www.iowas.co.uk/Soldier.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratiotes

 

[lovingmypondgirl]

Great links everyone, thanks. I'm going to see what i can do tomorrow as there's not much space for anything to swim about in there at the moment . Annette

 

[adavisus]

Ah, one of the joys of a pond in a cool climate, where hard water is the norm, lol, that is one plant which does have some picky growing habit.

The newts spawning season won't last forever, when you see well developed newt tads in the pond you might as well start pitching the larger plants, whatever late hatching there may be is only going to be gobbled up by the early newts which have grown big enough to be cannibals on excess numbers of small tads

As Summer progresses, you will end up with just the same number of bigger stronger newt tads

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[lovingmypondgirl]

Well i went out this morning to see what's what in the pond and there are too many eggs to start to throw any water soldiers away. I will wait as advised until the earlies have spawned and then have another go, Thanks everyone , Annette

 

[mogsie]

lovingmypondgirl look for folded leaves as the newts will lay there eggs in a leaf and fold it over to protect the eggs, hey you can send some of your water soldiers to me (ile pay)lol, i would love some, but none of my local garden centres have any,

 

[lovingmypondgirl]

Mogsie, If i could get them there you could have them with pleasure and with a free gift egg attached. The pond is only very small but it's absolutely teeming with wildlife. We've had fledgling thrushes (i think) having a fantastic splash in it today next to the baby blackbirds . I think if you provide garden creatures with food and water then the whole garden is enriched. I absolutely love my pond and garden wildlife . I don't have any fish in my pond , just newts ,frogs and their offspring which have all made their own way there, Annette

 

[mogsie]

yes wildlife is brilliant isnt it (i used to work as a surveyor for cumbria wildlife trust, loved that job), i dont have newts in my pond, just 10 fish and allsorts of insects like damselfly larvae and caddis fly etc, the birds like to bath in mine also,

 

[addy1]

Mine is slanted totally to wildlife, tads, tons of insect critters, a few fish, racoons welcome and the birds love the bog, they bath all day long, so much fun watching them. I see tons of little insect nymphs in the pond, even they are fun to watch.