Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Control of Cat tails

My pond (in northern Minnesota) is being over whelmed by cat tails. Suggestions to get them under control?

Any product certified for use around water that contains glyphosate(Rodeo, Eagre,...) in conjunction with a surfactant which helps the chemical stick to the leaves, will produce excellent results if: you treat when the seed heads appear in the mid to late summer, the entire emerged plant is coated, and it doesn't get washed off for atleast 12 hours. Other recommendations would be to cut them off below the water before it freezes up, or to dig up the roots with back hoe, or possibly covering them with a black tarp early in the year for small areas. The chemicals can be purchased from many places or I could have some shipped to you. Check with state laws regarding chemical use before you treat anything. fishmgr@hotmail.com

I used to have the same problem. I used one of the products mentioned in the previous post and once the plants turned yellow and wilted (made sure the product reached the roots) I removed them with a "Y" shaped manual cutter at the bases, allowed them to float to shore, raked them out, and disposed of them. I didn't want all that decomposing plant matter on the bottom of my pond.

I've tried the "cutting" below the ice thing and it didn't work for me. There were plenty of new shoots the following spring due the the root system these things have.

I now have a very few young new shoots now and then along the shore, but I just pull them out by the roots and all, and have a pond that is most cattail free. I now have bullrushes replacing them and prefer them over the cattails. They are not as prolific and are much shorter. They also stay closer to shore.

Not really much you can do in Minnesota this time of year.