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Pond & Lake Managment
Nuisance Animals
In addition to birds, there are several animals that can be a nuisance to a pond owner. Most of these are just aggravating, but some can seriously damage your pond or fish population. Be sure to check with State and Local Law Enforcement prior to taking any action. You may need a license to trap animals, and it may be illegal to relocate animals. Some animals, like the alligator snapping turtle, may be protected or listed as threatened/endangered in your area.
Be sure to check with your State Parks & Wildlife Department, before implementing any type of trapping or taking any type of action.
Beavers, Nutria, Muskrats and Crawfish  These are usually more of a nuisance than a real problem. Beavers will sometimes use a pond to store sticks for food. Nutria and muskrats can burrow into your levees or dam, causing structural damage. Again, your best course of action is to locate a local trapper. If these animals present a recurring problem, you can put heavy wire mesh or rocks (rip-rap) around the inside face of your dam. This should discourage their tunneling.
Crawfish may get into a pond naturally, but you don't want to stock them in. Even though they are good fish food, they tunnel into levees, destroying them in time.
Click Here for Beaver, Nutria, and Muskrat Traps.... Insects  Some aquatic insects eat small fish. Probably the two worst are dragonfly nymphs and backswimmers or water boatman. Backswimmers have a very large proboscis (like a beak) that they use to puncture their victims and suck out the body fluids. If you are ever "stung" by a backswimmer, believe me, you'll know it. They hurt.
Dragonfly nymphs have a modified lower jaw that acts like an arm to reach out and grab food, bringing it to their mouths.
Mosquitoes can be annoying, and in light of the recent outbreaks of West Nile virus, they can also pose a serious health risk to humans and horses. However, if you have a healthy population of adult fish, they will usually keep all insect numbers under control. The mosquito fish, gambusia affinis, and other minnows will keep mosquito larvae numbers down.
Turtles & Aligators
 Turtles and alligators are mostly a nuisance, but will eat some of your fish. If you get an alligator in a pond, you will need to contact state officials to see about its removal. Most game and fish agencies have trained people who will relocate alligators that are, or may become, a danger. Never feed an alligator, as it will become used to people and will not leave as long as there is food. Also, this is against the law in most places.
Turtles can be a constant irritation, especially if your pond is near a natural body of water. Fortunately, they are easy to catch with a trap such as Dunn's "Sure Ketch" Turtle Trap. This trap works continuously and only needs to be checked once per week. You can also set lines for turtles using strong string or steel leader and treble hooks. Running the line through a hole punched in the bottom of a soup can will cover the hook, keeping it from catching fish, but a turtle will stick his neck in the can far enough to get the bait.
Click Here for Turtle Traps....
Snakes
 Most water snakes are not poisonous, but they are aggressive and can give you a bad scare. Also, they prey heavily on fish and frogs. The good news about water moccasins is they will eat other water snakes; the bad news is that they are poisonous. You will never completely eliminate snakes from a pond permanently. The best way to keep them from being a problem is to make the pond unattractive to them. Consider eliminating emergent aquatic vegetations and keep the banks and area around the pond mowed and free of brush piles that give snakes cover. Also, snakes like to den in undercut banks. Keeping your pond full of water will eliminate these hiding places.
If you have a small pond, or one that is visited often by children, there are several snake traps and repellents on the market. Most traps use a glue that dissolves in cooking oil, so the snake can be released unharmed. A wire trap with a funnel-type entrance and baited with cut bait will catch snakes. If you don't want to handle them, they are easily drowned by submerging the trap. There are repellants available being advertised as lasting several months. But again, be sure to check local laws that might pertain.
Click Here for Snake Traps.... Otters
Otters are extremely efficient at catching fish. Several years ago, a 1/10th acre pond at Auburn University was stocked in the Fall with 600 head of catfish averaging one pound in size. Otters from a nearby creek found the pond and only 20 fish were recovered in the Spring. Otters will leave piles of fish scales and scat (feces) around the pond. They also like to create slides into a pond.
If you get otters in your pond, your best course of action is to contact a local trapper. Otter hides still bring high enough prices to make it worth the effort to trap them. If you don't know a trapper, contact the game and fish department for assistance in locating one. Also, some state agriculture departments employ nuisance trappers and may be able to help.
Click Here for Otter Traps....
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