If you own or maintain property, including bodies of water, you know the importance of keeping the water healthy and safe. One of the ways to do this is by controlling vegetation. Here are four methods of controlling aquatic weeds.
1. Chemical
One of the most common methods of aquatic weed control involves the use of chemicals to kill and restrict the growth of weeds and other plant life in and around the water. Chemical control methods mainly involve the use of various herbicides. Due to the risks these chemicals can pose to the surrounding environment, as well as to animals and people that may come in contact with the treated water, there are many restrictions regarding the types of herbicides you can use. There may also be restrictions regarding how much you can use or how often you can use an herbicide.
2. Biological
If you don’t want to use chemical control methods, you may be able to use biological ones instead. However, these methods aren’t quite as effective as chemical ones, so you should consider using them in conjunction with other methods, such as mechanical ones, to ensure you establish adequate control. Biological methods typically involve introducing animals, such as weevils and grass carp, that will consume certain weeds and thus control their spread.
3. Mechanical
Mechanical control involves motorizing manual methods of aquatic weed control in order to improve the efficiency and speed of removal. This allows you to control the weed populations in larger bodies of water in a fraction of the amount of time required to do so manually. There are many sizes and types of mechanical weed control tools. You may use mowers or trimmers on the shore of a body of water, underwater rototillers for the floor of the body of water or shredding and cutting boats on the surface.
4. Manual
Manual control is the oldest type of aquatic weed control. It involves using the hands or handheld non-motorized equipment to remove or trim the weeds. Common tools include rakes, weed rollers and various blades. Aeration also falls under manual control. This method is best for very small colonies of weeds, weeds that aren’t as deeply entrenched and weeds that require delicate or careful removal, as it’s a highly labor-intensive method.
You can use one or a combination of two or more methods to control aquatic weeds. The type or types of control methods you choose will depend on your needs and the water’s surrounding ecosystem.
