Subject: Black Water Bugs

From: [email-masked] (Jeff Rieman)
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 1995 18:22:26 GMT

I know this isn't the place to post this, but I don't know where
else to look.  My parents have a pond and they have bunches and bunches
of little black water bugs that live on the surface.  Any ideas on how
to eliminate these?  We do have several bass in the pond, but they
don't seem to be taking care of the problem.
Thanks,
Jeff

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Jeff Rieman                : Information Systems Coordinator
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Work: (419(772-2145        : Ohio Northern University

"We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is
 play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I
 am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I  
 react to it." - Charles Swindoll
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From: [email-masked] (brett rowley)
Date: 11 Jul 1995 02:17:25 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Jeff
>don't seem to be taking care of the problem.
Jeff,
What you have are "whirlygig" beetles. I'm not sure what species, but
they are definitely Coleopteran. I'm curious as to why they are a
problem. Infry rearing ponds they can predate on small fish. We control
them by putting a mixture of 5 gallons diesel or kerosene with one
quart non-detergent motor oil on the pond's surface. This is done with
a sprayer or even with a cup by applying the mixture on a calm morning
around the ponds edges. A slick will form on the surface across the
whole pond if 2-5 gallons per acre are used. The beetles (and other
waterbugs) must surface to breathe. The oily slick coats thier pores
they breath through and suffocates them without harming the baby fish.
This method only controls the beetles for a few days then a new hatch
will appear. I'm sure that they are not a big enough problem to justify
this intense approach in your case. Hope this answers some of your
questions.
                       Brett