Ö÷²¥´óÐã

The Village Hall  permalink

Garden pond query

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Binky (U4657795) on Thursday, 29th April 2010

  
  
  Ever since the volcano, we have had a fine scum on the surface of our pond. We saw a cloud rolling in from the N-E and thought it was a mist, but on closer inspection it was more like a giant vacuum dust-bag being emptied. This lasted a couple of minutes at most, and then rolled on by.
  
  The pond is inhabited by newts, frogs and a toad so we don't want to do anything drastic but are there any methods of skimming the surface to clear this scum away?

  Link to this forum: Garden pond query

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Thursday, 29th April 2010

  You could do just that - skim it with a fine-mesh net. Check after each sweep that there nothing important in the net. Or if it is the volcanic dust maybe just break the surface with a fine hose spray and let it sink (which it will probably do first time it rains I'd have guessed) - there's nothing dangerous for the pond in it - based on my limited understanding of geology.
  
  Could it be pollen?

  Link to this forum: Garden pond query

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by dean volecape (U1477030) ** on Thursday, 29th April 2010

  
  It's been a very dusty spring Binky - I was aware of it before the volcano went up (like you, I could see a film of it on the pond surface). My friend who is reasearching the current distribution of ground-level ash from the recent eruption says there's very little so far. She thinks the stuff we are all seeing is a combination of pollen, road 'grit' and the stuff that spalled off cement and stone surfaces during the long freeze. The long dry period has meant that it didn't get washed down as it usually would.
  
  It probably won't do the pond-dwellers any harm - tough I know there was all sorts of odd stuff being used on the roads back during the coldest weather.
  
  

  Link to this forum: Garden pond query

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by Binky (U4657795) on Tuesday, 4th May 2010

  It rained here quite a bit over the bank holiday, and the pond surface is now clear of dust/scum as predicted above. We even heard a strong frog chorus for the first time this year, so the inhabitants are unharmed. Result!!

  Link to this forum: Garden pond query

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by oldbloke2 (U2285767) on Tuesday, 4th May 2010

  Pleased to hear that Binky. I do worry about things that wriggle and dive too. But they reward us for our concern, don't they?

  Link to this forum: Garden pond query

  Report message5

Back to top