Cattails???

[Skully]

Just a quick question for you pond owners. I am kicking around the thought of transplanting a few cattails in to my new pond. I've been reading up on them and have learned about how they can be a lot of work to keep from spreading. Lets hear some pro's and cons.

 

[JNRBRONC]

Muskrats LOVE cattails so if you want muskrats burrowing into the bank (and possibly the dam), bring in cattails! The muskrats pretty much kept the cattails in check last year in one of our ponds.

 

[Ghost]

Pro's...

Great fish cover, and filters the water.

Con's...

They do spread and make bank fishing difficult.

My pond is full of them. They only can grow out into about 3 feet of water. I have a dock and boat to fish from though.

I like them, but every pond is different. If yours is large enough I would invite them, but I can see how they would be trouble in a small mud hole.

 

[nannyslayer]

On the chemical side of things, you can spray the excess cattails with Reward, which is Glyphosate made for aquatic plants. It works pretty well, and it will not spread in the water and kill other plants.