SPECIALIST canadian pondweed CONTROL SERVICES

OUR SPECIALIST CONTROL SERVICES WILL TREAT OR ERADICATE THIS SPECIES. TO FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE CANADIAN PONDWEED USE OUR FREE ID TOOL OR BOOK A SURVEY

treatment & removal

Canadian pondweed can be treated with a suitable aquatic herbicide however mechanical cutting and dredging is the best method to completely remove the visible plant and any remaining roots systems.

Lymnaea peregra snails are natural herbivores of this plant, and so can serve as a biological control agent.

To find out the best way to control or remove Canadian pondweed and the best time of year to have treatment or eradication carried out get in touch.

WHY IS CANADIAN PONDWEED A PROBLEM?

Disturbance increases its growth rate, so eradication methods need to ensure all parts of the plant are removed. Because it has the potential to develop into dense submerged beds it can out-compete native plant species and therefore decrease the local biodiversity. Infestations naturally trap sediments, which has been known to reduce water flow in canals and streams by up to 80%.

ABOUT CANADIAN PONDWEED

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Elodea canadensis
ORIGIN: North America

Canadian pondweed is a submerged free-flowing perennial aquatic plant has overlapping leaves that create a dense carpet that if left uncontrolled, over a few seasons can cover hundreds of acres, severely impeding natural water flow. Reproduction is via fragmentation – fragments have high survival rates which allow them to be dispersed over long distances, often being carried by fish or other invertebrates, or when flooding increases river flow. Characteristic by its long, green stems and whorled leaves that are arranged in groups of three.

• Stems can grow to 15cm and are rooted from their nodes, typically in mud substrates.
• Slim green leaves are slightly curled, approximately 2-5 mm wide.
• Flower from May to October.

HABITAT

Canadian pondweed can grow in a range of habitats, but prefers inland fresh waterways such as quiet ponds, lakes ditches, irrigation channels and slow-moving water with peaty or muddy silt substrates.

IMPACT: MEDIUM

It will also clog and impede drainage waterways of irrigation channels. It can survive in water depths of up to 4 metres, making control operations complicated.

TOXICITY: ZERO

Canadian pondweed presents no physical danger to either humans or animals.