I’m really reluctant to use pesticides. I know the aquatic ones are supposedly safe, I just hate the idea of chemical pesticides.
A lot of new land owners feel the exact same way. However, most of the generational farmers/ranchers/wildlife managers I know all believe in "better living through chemicals".
I have tried to eliminate invasive trees by grubbing and burning. The trees just kept on coming right back. I then switched to spot herbicide treatments, performed EXACTLY according to the label. Trees wiped out, good thick band of healthy diverse grasses now established to provide a riparian buffer to our creek.
The creek is now cleaner, the aquatic wildlife is happier, the soil erosion is diminished, and I don't have to constantly fight the spread of invasives.
The pond management professionals on the forum all seem to use herbicides for problem plants in their subject ponds. Along with all of the synergistic non-chemical means working in parallel to help. I don't recall anyone on the forum ever reporting a bad outcome for their overall pond health due to herbicide applications, except for the cases where a rookie reported making a huge mistake and was posting questions on how to fix it.
Exactly follow the chemical labels. They have been tested extensively for their approved applications.
