Russ, I would sure think that a healthy population of minnows would clean up scuds pretty fast. As I understand that is the main objection to minnows in Minnesota wetlands. They eat all the living critters down to nothing. I don't know if I am affected by the minnow stocking issue. I don't think my county has banned stocking and I think that as long as I'm stocking in my own dug pond I can get a permit. But I have not applied for one yet since since I'm thinking of trying to maximize the scud population in my new pond by not stocking any minnnows.
BTW, I just ordered some sago pond weed to plant in my new pond and scuds to put into the BG pond. I decided I'm going to invest the $85 in scuds and take my chances that some will survive and reproduce in my BG pond. I avoided the large shipping costs that Bill referred to since I'm going to pick my order up directly from PLM. I'm not going to try to section off an area of pond before this stocking since I can't do this with ice around. I will observe what happens this coming summer and see if I can see scuds growing and reproducing in my pond. If they do well I'll just leave well enough alone. If they don't, I'll section off some area late next summer and get ready to restock scuds into the pond next winter. This will be interesting.
