grey springtails ?

hi all, we have a small garden pond that is black with the little bliters, is a way to get rid of them ? if any one knows how to do so without harming my fish, ... tench ..carp .. orfe .. and common gold fish this will be good . thank you.

Contributed by barbara- on 30 March, 2007 - 1:28pm

Why?

If they are indeed springtails (don't know what a "bliter" is), then there is no reason to take any action. They will disperse and/or die eventually. If they are something else that "bites," and are harming the fish, then you may want to consult your county extension agent (if you are in the states, the Cooperative Extension Service is affiliated with your state's land grant university, but has a local office, often in the county seat) for advice.

… Eric R. Eaton, 2 April, 2007 - 12:33pm

UK->US translation

I would be very much surprised to see tench or orfe in the US- everything points to this person being in the UK, or maybe elsewhere in Europe. As for "bliter", that's just another way of spelling "blighter", which is a term used to refer to someone/something you don't like without using profanity.

As for the springtails, I agree that they'll probably go away by themselves.

… Chuck Entz, 3 April, 2007 - 2:05am

grey springtails

thanks for your comments ..yes i am from the uk sorry i did not say this befour ..hope they are just springtails i have since done a water change on the pond but have now started to see them back again ?? hopefuly they will go on there own as i dont like putting chemicals in the pond

… barbara-, 6 April, 2007 - 2:36am

My guess...

is that this is a seasonal phenomenon- perhaps they've come out of winter dormancy before all the predators and/or parasites that keep them in check. Either that, or their food supply has increased due to competing consumers being still dormant.

I've read that they use the surface film where the water meets the air to keep them afloat. You might try putting a tiny amount of a biodegradable soap on the water among them to break down the surface tension and maybe make them sink. It may have no effect at all, but it might help.

… Chuck Entz, 6 April, 2007 - 5:19pm

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