What are the sandy grains that appear on the pads?

[Jerry]

This is fairly new for me.  I hose them off and they go to the skimmer.
What is it?

[Sean]

APHIDS

Keep hosing them off and you should be able to keep ahead of an all out infestation.

Cheers,
Sean

[Jerry]

Will do, but what the heck is it??

[Sean]

insects that suck the juice out of your pads.

Cheers,
Sean

[Mucky_Waters]

I often get aphids starting to show up on my lily pads near the end of the summer, but this summer I have been washing another kind of sandy, grainy, dusty looking stuff off of everything in the pond. And not just the stuff in the pond,  my vegetables, our cars, the pool cover,,,,, everything.  It is the ash from the forest fires South of me in Washington. Some days the ash was falling out of the sky like snow and the sun was blotted out to a eiry red globe in the sky. I think the smoke filled upper atmosphere must have lowered the daily temperatures about 10 degrees on some days when it was particularly bad. I think it set my corn crop back two weeks. 

[Jerry]

those damn sucking insects!

[louis]

EEK...... Aphids

sure to follow are the large black ants. they harvest the honeydew from the aphids

lou

[Johns]

The water lily aphid has a vector.  It is trees in the family Prunus.  This includes mainly cherry trees, especially the wild cherry. The aphid over winter on the cherry trees and crawl down to find the water lily leaves when they come out in the spring. If you have any cherry trees within a hundred feet or so of your pond you can control water lily aphids by either cutting the trees down or by spraying them each year in February (before the buds come out) with dormant oil spray.  Be sure not to get too much spray in your pond, however.  Barring tree removal or spraying, you can try spraying the aphids with a mixture of water and dish detergent (joy) at a ratio of 1 tsp per gallon).  Again, be careful with the spray, just spray the lily leaves with the aphids, don't spray the whole pond.

[Jerry]

Thanks Johns.  I do have a deciduous fruit tree, ( Santa Rosa Plum) but it is at least 100 feet from the pond.
It will be coming out for other reasons.
The joy works on aphids outside of the pond just fine.  I will give you ideas a try.
Thanks again

[LeeAnne151]

There are no cherry trees within 100 yards of my ponds and I still get aphids. dammit. Pam works but it does blemish the pads but the oil seems to have no ill effects.

[louis]

I have had good luck with oil of pepermint, that you can get at a health food store. i mix about 10 drops into a quart of water and spray. it works and makes the yard smell nice also.

lou

[PondmaninAL]

I think that everyone is getting aphid happy here.

Jerry, you are in California, right? Has there been any wildfires near you? When I say "near", I mean within a hundred miles. Mucky made a good point when he mentioned the ash. Does what you have on your lilies have legs? Have you tried just spraying it off with water?

Happy ponding,
Scott

[Jerry]

Scott  i have not seen the things move at all.  I will inspect tomorrow with a magnifying glass.
Fires?  likely this time of year, but I know ass when I see it
 

[cfarm]

EEK...... Aphids

sure to follow are the large black ants. they harvest the honeydew from the aphids

lou

And right on que I have both! My first end of summer with the pond and I'm hosing off the pads morning and night. Gonna try your advice on the peppermint. I haven't been watching my plants closely enough and the hibiscus are absolutely infested!