Aquacide Blog — Lake Muck

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...

Hot weather prompted the DNR to warn lake goers about the potential dangers of blue-green algae. While it is not uncommon to see algae blooms in the lake area in late summer, recent hot weather has prompted a warning.  Blue-green algae tends to show up in small, shallow, mucky ponds.  It looks exactly like its name; “blue-green” scum that resembles pea soup or spilled paint on the water surface.  It also has a strong, unpleasant, swampy odor.  It can erupt suddenly and be deadly. Ninety-nine percent of green algae are harmless; a nuisance and ugly, but harmless and not ALL...

While many people jump in the lake to keep cool, living life underwater isn’t always enough to protect fish from the heat. Many people throughout the US have noticed fish struggling at the water surface and washing up onto their shore.  This is due to the heat wave that has hovered over the Midwest over the past few weeks. Fish kills are actually common and do happen every summer, its part of the natural cycle.  Oxygen levels have reached an all time low.  Low oxygen levels combined with high water temperatures cause fish kills that sometimes have people convinced their...

"Jelly Balls" are not found in every are more common than most people realize.  These gelatinous balls to rocks or sticks on the pond can break loose and float on the water surface. These "Jelly Balls" are a primitive colonial invertebrate known as (common name is moss animals).  They are firm and slimy to the touch and can range from golf ball to basketball size. They are not fish or frog eggs, a form of algae or lake bacteria. Even though they appear to be something out of a science fiction movie or from outer space, they are completely harmless to you and...

A customer recently contacted us regarding lake weed control. Below is his question and our response. Question: I live on a fresh water lake, our beach is sand covered with a little mud.   It’s a gradual slope out about 200’ to a depth of 15’...I have used Aquacide Pellets before with some success but my question is if there is a product I can apply now while the lake is out that will kill the weed roots?  The lake is all the way out and the bottom is exposed.  Not frozen,  just damp? Answer:  There are two main types of aquatic weed...