The message
from "Robert Wallace" contains
these words:

I have a small pond I keep for frogs and wildlife.
Each year it gets covered with a thick layer of duckweed that causes the
water to become dark and evil smelling.

I asked my local fish and pond centre for some magic powder, but they said
all you can do is scoop it out.

This is plainly ridiculous as it grows faster than I can scoop!

I have tried emptying the pond and fitting a new liner but blow me if it
didn't come back.

Thus far Duckweed 3 Me 0

It's not the duckweed that's making the pond smelly, it's rotting
vegetable matter - maybe the duckweed contributes a bit of that.

It's good cover for frogs, tadpoles and newts, and I wouldn't try to get
rid of it all, and a reasonable cover of duckweed will discourage the
herons.

You want something like a shrimp net with a finer mesh to scoop the
stuff out. You will never get rid of it completely as ducks, herons etc
which visit will bring a fresh batch.

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)