Algae and Weed Control

All waterways – ponds, lakes, canals – are susceptible to bad nutrients that accelerate the growth of algae, weeds and other undesirable vegetation.  These bad nutrients enter the water via street drainage, lawn debris and runoff from fertilized yards.  Additionally, weeds can get into your waterway from seeds carried by the wind, birds, boat trailers, etc.

Even though some algae and aquatic weeds are a necessary part of a healthy ecosystem, too much is not a good thing.  Algae can be especially troublesome, as it’s present year round in Florida and thrives during the warmer months.  Fortunately, a professional aquatic weed control program makes all of these aquatic nuisances manageable.  We offer a variety of ways to work within our clients timeframe and budget to keep algae, weeds and other undesirable vegetation under control.

EPA Approved Herbicides:  We at Aquatic Weed Control, Inc., use only EPA approved herbicides as a technique to control aquatic weeds in all waterways in Florida. 

There are about 300 herbicides registered in the United States and some have been around since the early 1950’s, but for aquatic use, there are only a few dozen.  Each one has a list of plants that it is designed to kill or control and sometimes it’s a combination of herbicides that does the job. Most are designed to target certain plants and kill on contact, while others are absorbed through their foliage and take about 7 – 10 days to do the job.  Some are liquid and others are granules or pellets. And, then our technicians factor in the volume of a body of water to determine the amount of herbicide to use. 

Our uniformed technicians go through a thorough training program and are licensed by the State in order to do their job properly everyday for our clients. 

These chemicals are applied in a variety of methods.

Backpack method:  These are used by our licensed and trained technicians to apply chemicals in the following conditions… Able to individually target specific non-native plants that are taking over a small native plant area. A technician wearing a backpack can walk into small, tight areas where larger equipment can not get access.

ATV method: These all terrain vehicles are the ideal equipment for spraying along the shorelines of all waterways.  Our fleet is tailored to a waterway, unloaded and put to work. The fact that they are all terrain allows the technician to travel easily around a waterway. They can carry a load of different chemicals so our technicians don’t have to make trips back to the truck for different chemicals to treat the diverse array of plants they may come upon; this saves time.

Skiff method: These light-weight boats have small trolling motors and are equipped with spray tanks and hoses that allow our technicians to reach weeds anywhere on the waterway.

Airboat method:  This flat-bottom vessel can operate in shallow water because there are no operating parts underneath. Navigates easily through shallow swamps and marshes. Can travel over and through patches of invasive plants like hydrilla and alligator weed that a regular boat propeller would get entangled.

Biological controls:  These types of controls can be introduced into an invested body of water that work day after day to assist a herbicide maintenance program in controlling unwanted vegetation.

The first step is to contact Aquatic Weed Control who has professionals who can come out and look at the waterway to determine what factors are causing the outbreaks and give recommendations for controlling the matter.

One or more of these biological methods should be considered:

Run off and grass clippings from fertilized yards put additional nutrients into the water that can accelerate
the growth of unwanted vegetation.

As part of a water management plan, we suggest;

Introduce Grass Carp to your waterway. Grass Carp are a great complement to any recurring maintenance program because they continually feed on aquatic plants. They cannot control the weeds on their own, they also need the herbicide treatments to get the job done.

Our expert staff can size up your waterway and determine the proper aquatic approach and the number of fish needed to control the target vegetation. We will install them and let them do what they do best – eat.  For more information see the Grass Carp tab.

Regular Maintenance:   To keep algae and undesirable vegetation under control and in proper balance with nature, we recommend a maintenance program.  We work with the client to develop a plan that works in concert with the waterway that needs to be managed and the client’s budget.

It’s a little like mowing your yard.  What would happen if you only mowed the yard 2 to 4 times a year?  Now you get the picture? With proper maintenance your waterway will stay in proper shape.

All of these methods are successful and when combined with a maintenance program, the effects are everlasting.