How to Kill Duck Weeds

Duck weed is a free-floating weed that is found on the top of still or slow-moving bodies of water. Unlike many aquatic weeds, duck weed never becomes rooted in the soil. Duck weed can completely cover the surface of a body of water, despite each plant being only ¼ inch in diameter. Unfortunately, duck weeds can be unsightly, and so you might want to kill them.

Aquatic weed harvester
Aquatic herbicide
Dark-colored dye

Instructions

- 1
  Hand-pull the duck weeds. Duck weeds do not root themselves into the soil. Thus, pulling weeds by hand (or using a skimmer) is a no- or low-cost option.
- 2
  Rent an aquatic weed harvester. In some cases, infestation is so severe that hand-pulling is not a practical option. An aquatic weed harvester is a boat that contains a "cutting head" and is designed to remove weeds from ponds and lakes.
- 3
  Apply an aquatic herbicide. Aquatic herbicides are available in sprayable or granular formulations and, properly applied, do not harm wildlife. Aquatic herbicides can be sprayed on duck weeds directly from a boat or from the shore. You should apply aquatic herbicides on one-quarter to one-third of the surface area at a time. This helps protect fish from a shortage of oxygen.
- 4
  Use a dark-colored dye designed for aquatic applications. Dark-colored dyes can be applied right out of the bottle along the shoreline and will work to reduce the amount of sunlight available to aquatic plants, thus killing duck weeds.
- 5
  Maintain a healthy grass cover around the body of water. This will help prevent runoff and erosion, which may stimulate weed growth.

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