Good Morning,
I recently purchased a home with an inground pool and a Koi pond RIGHT next to a Big Palm tree.
Let me descibe to you what happened-I was sitting outside one evening with some friends, enjoying a nice cognac and a smoke; and I heard this Plop Plop Plop noise. I looked around and realized water bugs (big nasty water bugs) were falling/flying/gliding out of the tree. Please, please tell me how I can control this without cutting down the tree (though I will if that’s what it takes). I’ve attached a picture so you can have a better idea of what I am talking about.
I currently work in Iraq and I only go home for a week every 4 months, but I really want to enjoy my pool and deck when I am there and I am seriously cringing at the thought of sitting outside my own home.
Can you give me any ideas on how to get rid of these? One flew on my neck and I think I may suffer more PTSD from that than working out here in Iraq. LOL
Thanks for any and all assistance you can provide.
If you read through our WATER BUG CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll see mention of the concentrate SUSPEND. It’s okay to use around the pond and pool and I recommend treating the lower lying plants and turf with it for starters. This will help control any that are landing on the ground and foraging. You might be able to get even more if they’re using the palm tree trunk to go up and down from where they’re roosting. By spraying the bark of the tree, they’ll pick up lethal amounts from the treatment as they traverse over treatment.
Since you didn’t mention where they seem to be going, I also recommend watching them to see what it is they are targeting in the yard for food. In all likelihood there is something close by they are feeding upon. It could be debris around the koi pond or maybe something that’s falling off another nearby tree. But if you do notice or know of something they’re targeting, I recommend not spraying it but instead applying some MAXFORCE GRANULES to the area. Maxforce will be readily consumed by these guys and after feeding, they’ll die within 2-3 days.
Now you could opt to go with nothing but the Maxforce in case you’re unsure about where to spray or if you’re concerned about contaminating the koi pond water with the Suspend. In general if you leave a 10 foot area of ground around the pond unsprayed, there would be little to no risk of any active reaching the water and causing any trouble to the fish. But to avoid this altogether, the Maxforce would be the way to go. It wouldn’t pose any threat when used properly and will only affect roaches, ants and crickets. Just remember it will take longer to have an impact compared to the spray.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Water Bug Control Article: http://www.bugspray.com/article/largeroaches.html
Suspend: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page280.html
Maxforce Granules: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page278.html
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