Duckweed is an extremely invasive floating plant in retention and farm ponds. Often confused with it’s smaller cousin watermeal, both can be difficult to remove from ponds or lakes.

What makes Duckweed and Watermeal so hard to remove?

The there growth rate of reproducing up to five times a day makes it quick to recover from topical treatments.  Even when beaten back to less then ten percent of the pond’s surface area it can recover the pond in less than one month

.So what does an HOA do with their scum covered green pond with duckweed?

First, it is illegal for any HOA or commercial property to add herbicides to a body of water in the state of South Carolina.  A South Carolina licensed category five aquatic herbicide applicator is required by law to apply any aquatic herbicide treatment.

Why?

Aquatic herbicides often do not stay in the ponds they are applied because of leaching or runoff through spillways or pipes.  Some herbicides are so harmful they can have a large impact on ecosystems near by.  One of the most common treats used for duckweed and watermeal is fluridone.

This systemic treatment is soaked up by all plants in the pond or lake and die a slow 30-day death.  This is helpful as plants decaying remove oxygen from the water. And this slow 30-day process has little impact on the fish in the pond or lake. Although it has an expensive cost of treatment, it is the most effective.

Platinum Lake Management licensed by the State of South Carolina as an Aquatic Herbicide applicator and manages countless ponds and lakes in Upstate South Carolina.

Read more about duckweed at South Carolina’s Dept. of Natural Resources

Now serving Greenville SC, Spartanburg SC, Asheville NC, Charlotte NC, Winston-Salem NC, & Greensboro NC areas.

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