For aquatic weed management, the first choice is prevention. If prevention fails to produce a weed free body of water, the next best option in my opinion is chemical treatments. We have some good products on the market for this. Somewhere in the mix, biological controls come into play.
I like the idea of biological controls, as long as they are naturally occurring organisms. Enhancing naturally occurring organisms is a fine idea, but I am a little wary of using non natives to control non natives. There are too many things that can go wrong, and you now have two alien predators in the environment. No matter how well researched the organism is, changing conditions can, and do alter situations.
What if you have not been able to prevent, or control exotic aquatic vegetation with chemical or biological control methods? Well, there are mechanical controls.
Mechanical controls should be used when other options have failed, and the pond or lake owner has determined that the mechanical controls will be a permanent part of the maintenance regimen.
Of all the mechanical devices I have come across, the one that most impresses me is the “Jenson Lake Mower.” I like the smooth cycle bar mechanism, reminiscent of the hay mowers that leave such a flat, even, low to the ground meadow when done. This should make a nice addition to our aquatic weed arsenal. The Jenson folks also offer a rake for cleanup.
There is a lot of information, which can be found on their website at www.LakeMower.com. Stop by and see their newly reconstructed site.