Pond weeds or lake Cookies Weed can grow over a water body in no time. You should fear their overgrowth as some like duckweed and can prove to be dangerous for the native species. Such notorious weed species have the potential to disrupt the normal ecosystem and degrade aesthetic value of the region. If you have a lake or pond that needs duckweed control, below find some useful tips to kill them.

1. Prevention Is Better Than Cure! Take Preventive Measures to Prevent Lake Weed Growth: If the banks of the pond are steeply sloped, weeds will face hurdles in their growth. However, if the banks have shallow margins, they may grow and eventually they can spread to deep waters. Thus, the ideal height of the bank should be 4 feet where the water’s depth is just 2-3 feet. This can prevent weed from growing.

2. Pull Out the Weeds mechanically – By Hand: If you need to get rid of lake weed from your pond and restore its aesthetic value, initiate hand pulling out the weeds. If the infestation is such that needs greater attention and where hands won’t suffice, you can make use of underwater weed cutter. They are good for nuisance-creating plants like water milfoil and water lilies. The only downside of using an underwater cutter is that they will lie down on the lake bed and there are certain weed species capable of reproducing from little pieces.

3. Use the Drawdown Technique to Control Weeds: This technique works best in winter season. It is during winters, prolonged freezing leads to sediment exposure. In such a situation, low water levels will expose plants so that they desiccate and drawdown will further stress plants and make them incapable of transporting nutrient.

4. Treat the Pond with a Herbicide: The chemicals used for treating (or killing) aquatic weeds are known as herbicides. If they are used in right proportion, they can remove weeds and algae without harming fish and other native species in the pond. You can successfully treat 25%-33% of pond area with herbicides at any given time. Too much chemical may harm the species in water

5. Use a Benthic Barrier: Benthic barrier is also popularly known as bottom screen. It covers the sediment like a blanket and compresses aquatic plants by preventing the sunlight to enter. Because in the sunlight, they thrive and when you will cut off their main source, they will eventually die. Colonies that are too extensive to be hand pulled, can be covered with bottom screens.