Aquacide Blog — aquatic herbicides

ALLIGATORWEED (alternanthera philoxeroides) was first reported in the U.S. in 1897.  It originated in South America and was probably introduced in the U.S. through ballast water.  It is now also considered an invasive weed in Australia, China, New Zealand and Thailand. Alligatorweed has long elliptical leaves that branch opposite on hollow stems that stand 4 feet high.  It has a whitish papery ball-shaped flower that closely resembles clover.  The flowers are located on spikelets that rise from the leaf base. Alligatorweed spreads by seed and fragmentation. When Alligatorweed invades waterways it can reduce flow, prevent light penetration and deplete oxygen due...

A customer recently contacted us regarding Parrot Feather control. Below is his question and our response. Question: I have a small fish pond about 20’ x 30’.  I have a weed called “Parrot Feather” that took over the pond which is hard to kill.  I would like to try your product.  Since this product is in a pellet form, will the fish eat it?  Will it harm fish, frogs or crawfish? Can you also tell me what the proper way is to dispose of the stuff removed from the pond, will it propagate on land? Answer: Aquacide Pellets are an...

Duckweed and Watermeal are free floating pond weeds that are found in wetlands and nutrient rich stagnant water. They are often mistaken for algae. Pond weed identification can be done by recognizing its small, round floating “frond” or leaf. Duckweed frond has hanging roots and is roughly the diameter of a pencil eraser. Watermeal has no roots and looks like floating grass seed about the size of a pin-head. Duckweed and Watermeal reproduce by budding on the margin or base of the frond. Each frond can only do this a limited number of times before dying. Both survive freezing and...

Just like the 1958 science fiction classic movie “The Blob”, Giant Salvinia burst onto the scene in the United States, becoming one of the world’s worst invasive aquatic plants.  In 1998 Giant Salvinia was recognized as a U.S. problem when eradication was resisted near Houston, Texas. Giant Salvinia has an “explosive” growth rate and can easily double in size in just a few days. Native to Southern Brazil, Giant Salvinia is now found in India, South East Asia, Africa, New Guinea, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Zealand and a host of other countries including the United States. Biologists believe Giant Salvinia was...

One of the most common submersed lake weeds is Bushy Pondweed.  Bushy Pondweed is a rooted native weed that grows up from the pond bottom.  It has thread-like narrow leaves oppositely arranged on slender, sparsely branched stems.  Lake weed identification can be made by the microscopic teeth along the leafs edge.  Bushy Pondweed leaves are also slightly broader at the base than tip.  This water weed can be found growing in depths of 10 feet or more.