CaddisFly
The Caddisfly is a small white moth like insect that will pupate under water and usually it will pupate in the stem or under the leaf of the waterlily. They will eventually rot the stem of the waterlily. Adding fish such as rainbow or gold fish to your pond will control some of the problem and they are also good in controlling mosquito larvae. The only other thing you can do is to remove the caddis fly by hand or removing the infected leaves.
China Mark Moth
The larvae of the china mark moth is the one that attacks the waterlilies. They often cut pieces of the waterlily pad and attach themselves between two layers. There are several forms of damage. Rounded pieces cut out of the pads are most obvious. When the caterpillar grows larger, they are most often found around the under edges of the pads and can also be found attached to the stem. Hand picking them off will control some of the problem.
Snails
There are good snails and there are bad snails. The bad snails are grey roundish that cause all the problems. These snails will over populate and start eating your water lily. To fix the problem scoop out as many snails as possible or clean out your pond and add FISH they will eat the jelly eggs that the snail lays under the leaf and control the population.
Aphids
What a pest these little buggers are. If the leaves on a water lily are turning yellow, take a good look and you will see tiny Aphids. These buggers really suck the life out of plants. A good way to eradicate them naturally is to dunk the leaves under water, or use a high pressured hose to wash them off into the pond. The fish will love them. Remove yellow leaves as they seem to be more attacked to if the infestation is severe, a little trick is to wipe the leaves with a very small amount of olive oil and hose them off and then scoop them out with a net. Be sure not to use any insecticides as these chemicals will kill your fish .
Aquatic Weeds
Below is just a few of highly declared Aquatic plants in Australia.
- Aligator Weed
- Salvinia
- Combomba
- Water hyacinth
- Water lettuce
Please check your local council or local Department of Primary industries for any aquatic plants that may be declared in your state and area.
When cleaning or pruning your water plants, please make sure you throw your pruning of water plants in your garden for compost.
Grow me Instead
We have worked closely with ‘Grow me Instead’ to ensure we recognize any invasive and potential weeds. Visit www.growmeinstead.com.au to see what plants can be substituted.
