Warning: Are the green aliens invading your lakes or ponds?

Over time, all pond owners should have experienced the following three incidents:

• The water in the pond has changed color.

• A thick mass of slag or aquatic weed growth has covered the pond.

• A strong foul smell emanating from the pond.

Have you ever wondered why this happens and what are these green species? It is basically the invasive aquatic species that come from different lands. These exotic species are very harmful to ponds and lakes. They do not occur naturally and occur accidentally or on purpose. Not all exotic plants are harmful, but there are many that have the potential to disrupt the natural ecosystem.

The Eurasian water yarrow is the most common invasive plant species that spread out in dense mats that make swimming and boating nearly impossible. Once they enter a body of water, they are not initially detected, giving them enough time to spread over a large area. It is usually too late when you become aware of their presence and removing weeds from the lake becomes even more difficult. Isn’t it better to adopt aquatic weed control methods well in advance? After all, prevention is better than cure. If we stop all imports and travel to the shores, all future invasions will stop. But this is almost impossible! To avoid further encroachment, you must adopt best practices beforehand. This will improve your chances of keeping your water body weed free without using any aquatic herbicides. The safe bet is:

1. It is important to note that no alien plants or animals travel with you back to their homeland. It is very easy to bring organisms from another region. Remember the bed bug infestation across the country? Its spread to America was from Asia in the luggage of a traveler.

2. Never transport fruit, wood or plant material placed in an isolated place. These inter-movements are generally responsible for the spread of pests such as the apple moth, the Asian longhorn beetle, and many others.

3. It is your duty to properly inspect your vehicle, trailer or boat that you are towing. Accidentally, you can bring invasive plants and animal species like the Asian Milfoil with you. It has already drowned several of our lakes and streams. They can be easily transplanted from one body of fresh water to another using small pieces.

4. Be careful when releasing exotic species into the wild. For example, throwing a fish tank into the water. You may not know what environmental disaster it could bring you.

In short, you must be very aware of what you are transporting from one region to another and within the country.