Water Shield
Identifying Water Shield
Physical Characteristics
Leaves:
- Alternate
- Leaf stalks long
- Shield- or oval- shaped
- Floating
- Smooth on top
- Jello-like on bottom
- Up to 4 inches long
Flowers:
- Grow from the axil
- Small
- Dull-purple in color
- 3-4 petals and sepals each
- 0.39-0.59 inches long
- Anthers release pollen toward the inside of the flower
Fruit:
- Club-shaped
- Leather texture
- Does not split to release seeds when ripe
- 0.23-0.31 inches long
Stem:
- Slender
Roots:
- Slender
- Rooted in mud
Controlling Water Shield In Lakes And Ponds
Physical Management of Water Shield
Water Shield has a root system which means the roots need to be destroyed to prevent the plant from coming back.
Products To Physically Manage Water Shield
Our WeedShear measures 49 inches in width and features a v-shaped razor sharp stainless steel blades that easily cuts through Water Shield at its roots. This product comes with a hand held sharpener, a 25 foot polypropylene rope and folds up for easy storage.
To use the WeedShear, simply give it a toss out into your lake or pond and let it sink to the bottom. Once it hits the bottom, simply use a jerking motion to drag the WeedShear along the bottom of the lake or pond.
The Weed Ripper is designed to pull Water Shield by the roots to prevent it from growing back.
The Weed Ripper features a 3 foot wide head and comes with a 25 foot rope that allows you to cut and pull weeds by tossing it into your lake or pond and pulling it back to you. Additionally, the Weed Ripper comes with 4, 7, 11 and 15 foot handle options.
- Aquatic Vegetation Groomer (AVG)
The AVG is a gas powered underwater aquatic weed cutter that was especially designed to cut down Water Shield at its root base. It uses two circular reciprocating blades which prevents it from getting tangled up like other weed whacker products sold online.
The AVG can be used in water depths up to 4 feet and comes with a 2 year warranty. It has a powerful 24 cc 2-cycle engine and a sealed gear box to keep it running smooth for years to come. Additionally, we have an optional shoulder strap and an optional float mount available to make the job of cutting down Water Shield that much easier.
Automated Control of Water Lily
For homeowners, automated control of Water Shield is ideal when your lake bottom has been cleared and you want to keep it that way without having to continuously labor away cutting weeds.
For lake and pond management companies, automated control of Water Shield is ideal when you have a large lake or pond that has been overtaken by the weed.
Automated Products To Control Water Shield
Our Lake Groomer is for homeowners who want to maintain a muck free lake bottom. The Lake Groomer uses a rolling action along the bottom of your lake or pond and dislodges any existing Water Shield and prevents it from growing.
The Lake Groomer comes standard with three – 7 feet roller tubes that can cover a total of 21 feet of lake bottom and comes with a 3 year warranty.
The Aquatic Mower is an electric powered aquatic weed cutter that mounts to your boat and works very efficiently to cut down Water Shield fast. If you are looking for an environment friendly, non-labor intensive solution to riding your lake or pond from Water Shield than the Aquatic Mower is what you have been looking for.
The Aquatic Mower weighs just 45 pounds and has a 12 volt DC electric motor that has a batter life of up to 6 hours. It is made of rust resistant aluminum and stainless steel and has a cutting width of 4 feet.
For lake and pond management companies, our Eco Harvester pulls Water Shield up from the roots and harvests them to be reused as mulch or animal feed.
The Eco Harvester can operate in as little as 12 inches of water and is built so it only takes one person to operate. Additionally, our patent protected Eco Harvester is one-third the price of traditional harvesters, making it one of the most affordable Water Shield removal machines on the market.
Herbicide Control of Water Shield
Herbicide control is a great option for Water Shield because you can literally apply the herbicide and then sit back and let it do its work. Most herbicides can control Water Shield throughout the season and only needs to be applied once a year.
Herbicide Products To Control Water Shield
Rodeo herbicide plus adjuvant is the best herbicide control for Water Shield because it is extremely effective at killing it at its roots and preventing it from coming back for years. Its active ingredient is Glyphosate† N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine, isopropylamine salt which has shown to be practically not-toxic to freshwater invertebrates. The Adjuvant helps speed up the process of effectiveness of Rodeo herbicide to produce even better results.
After applying Rodeo herbicide you should start to see results within 2 to 4 days and within 7 to 10 days your Water Shield problem should disappear. However, you want to make sure there is no rain in sight for 6 hours after applying for maximum results.
Navigate Granular is formulated on special heat treated attaclay granules that resist rapid decomposition in water. They quickly sink to your lake or pond bottom and release 2,4-D into the critical root zone.
Initial effects are indicated by brittle stems and curling leaf tips and are noticeable within 7 to 10 days. A full kill will occur within 3 to 5 weeks.