Planaria

[neil]

The subject of planaria was raised some time ago, when they were discovered in an aquaria eating newt eggs. Getting rid of them in such an envioronment would, I imagine, be relatively straight forward.
However, if ones pond became, for what ever reason, infested with them is there any control, either biological or not, available.

 

[kaysie]

Cleaning everything and drying it out is really the most effective. Planaria feast on decaying food products and microorganisms. So unless you're raising eggs, they're a good thing to have around (and also make good newt food on occasion). I'm not sure of any method to get rid of them other than introducing another species which would feed on them.

 

[alan]

I have some spectacular planaria cruising across the surface of my pond - nearly an inch long! They appear every summer, and I don't think there's any way I could get rid of them if I wanted to. Nature red in tooth and claw!

 

[kaysie]

Now THOSE are planaria! I was raising some for a zoology class dissection, and they were reproducing like crazy. I had tons of little ones. They like to eat dead crickets. Maybe you could devise a way to throw dead crickets on the top of the pond (as most of them float) and then strain them (and the planaria) out.

 

[alan]

Plenty of dead insects on my pond already - I don't need no stinkin' crickets!