Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations On the fly tonight

Snipe, it never got that cold here back in September, my water temp only dropped 10-12 degrees down to 72 from that cold front. I did run my aeration 24/7 when that front came through and left it running that way for a couple of weeks. I started seeing FA about 10 days ago after making a push remove GSH, I pulled 136 out between 9-13 thru 9-21.

Regarding the "tipping point" when it comes to FA and Tilapia. Here in North Central Indiana we've found that the tipping point is between 35 and 40 pounds per surface acre for Tilapia to control the algae, with a few caveats.

1) If there is a lot of FA in the pond, or enough to make ANY floating mats, the FA has to be treated (i.e. killed) within 5 days of stocking the Tilapia (pre or post). If the algae isn't killed, we have NOT found the tipping point. I believe Bob Lusk found out that even stocking 100#/surface acre won't be enough.

2) The Tilapia stocked should be 2-6 per pound when stocked. Any larger and there aren't enough mouths to eat the growing FA and the pond quickly becomes too infested with FA for them to keep it cleaned up (see #1 above). Any more Tilapia per pound than that, and if there are bass in the pond too many get eaten, then see #1 above for the result.....

Anyone have bat houses around their ponds?

Yes we do -- mounted high up on one of the out buildings below the dam. I highly recommend getting a good one from the bat society to build for your first one and following their recs for placement and maintenance. It's been a few years now in the right place and now we have a lively and entertaining colony of blying mosquito busters. Love them.

There's one at Mom & Dad's house, mounted about 6' off the ground. Last time I mowed around it I saw wasps going in and out of it.... So, this winter it will get cleaned out and I will try to put it up a lot higher.

Interesting, I have had a bat house up for a couple years here at my house in Boone Co and have not had any luck, this is a home made one that a friend made, I dont know if its built right or not, it was one of the first ones he built, or if it is in the right place or elevation, Im about 18' up on a power pole that I set, facing south. there's a bat society?

I looked at one and figured I could build one myself. So, I did 3 of them and followed recommendations on how/where to place them. To the best of my knowledge not one dang bat used them. One was inside an old barn. The others on trees.