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  1. #1

    Help!!! Black fly problem

    Please help, koi pond been running since last July, not had them before but now have a big issue with black flies, to the extent that’s is hard to sit on patio. What does everyone do about these or do the not affect everyone. Is there a way to kill of get rid of them etc.


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  3. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    Hi, welcome along.
    Water is unfortunately an attraction for flies of various kinds, they will fill the filters with larvae.
    Try to avoid the sunset period

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  5. #3
    Thanks for the reply, read on the Internet to spray them down with water a washing up liquid, sprayed away from the pond and got rid of them while we sat out, probably will have to do this every sayHelp!!! Black fly problemHelp!!! Black fly problemHelp!!! Black fly problemHelp!!! Black fly problemHelp!!! Black fly problemHelp!!! Black fly problem


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  7. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai RipleyRich's Avatar
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    If you want to sit out without being bothered by them, try burning Citronella Candles.
    Midges and the like hate Citronella.

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  9. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
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    They are a pain mate, i brought some of those hanging sticky fly strips which work really, i have them inside the filter housing which seems to attract them badly and as said above have larvae everywhere, might try some of those mosquito dunks that were posted on here a while back but they were expensive from memory, the sticky strips work well though i would put a few up it will help nail the buggers, its certainly sticky...
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

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  11. #6
    Hi guys
    Have posted this several times over the years! The bugs, mozzies etc... are using your pond/filters as a breeding ground/nursery for their offspring, so try using these :-

    They have worked for me for about ten years or so, they are Koi/fish safe, follow the instructions on the pack, good Luck

    Stay Lucky


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  13. #7
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by silver.wolf.9883 View Post
    Hi guys
    Have posted this several times over the years! The bugs, mozzies etc... are using your pond/filters as a breeding ground/nursery for their offspring, so try using these :-

    They have worked for me for about ten years or so, they are Koi/fish safe, follow the instructions on the pack, good Luck

    Stay Lucky


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    aha it was you Silverwolf who posted about these lol, thanks for re posting..... i will nose around the net for some, last time i looked they were a little bit expensive, cheers Steve.
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

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  15. #8
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Kyusai Pomster's Avatar
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    Wont be any good this year but plant Mint, spearmint or Peppermint around the pond. Apparantly they dont like it, never tried it myself though
    Not to read a newspaper makes you uninformed. But to read a newspaper makes you misinformed

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  17. #9
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion bowsaw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pomster View Post
    Wont be any good this year but plant Mint, spearmint or Peppermint around the pond. Apparantly they dont like it, never tried it myself though
    had plenty with a veg filter full of water mint,

    the upside is they are free food for the fish and also bring in things like swallows and bats to sit by the pool and watch feeding
    the slow pond build thread

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  19. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai RipleyRich's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bowsaw View Post
    had plenty with a veg filter full of water mint,

    the upside is they are free food for the fish and also bring in things like swallows and bats to sit by the pool and watch feeding
    yep, we get Bats every night at this time of year.

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  21. #11
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Kyusai Pomster's Avatar
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    About 20yrs ago the house we lived was plagued with black flies, big buggers they were, half the size of your thumb. When they bit you it was like you hads mumps, painfull too.
    Tried alsorts but it got to the point where we could'nt enjoy being outside, so we filled the pond in and sold up after a couple of years,
    Not to read a newspaper makes you uninformed. But to read a newspaper makes you misinformed

  22. #12
    Ordered some hanging strips and going to order dunks bit pricy but oh well, its ever that or my other half is going to fill the pond in on her own Help!!! Black fly problemHelp!!! Black fly problem
    Honestly it that bad they are every where all over the wall of the pond and house, thanks for all the help and adviceHelp!!! Black fly problemHelp!!! Black fly problem


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  24. #13

    Help!!! Black fly problem

    The mozzie dunk’ might sound expensive, but if you follow the instructions to the letter, you will see a quick decline in all bugs flying around the water, not just Mozzies, but it takes a while to reduce it right down to “spot the flying bugs”? You build up your water with the dunks with heavy doses to start with then, a regular smaller dose to maintain the kill rate, as you are breaking the bugs life cycle, ie from eggs through to adults breeding! I have the card in my previous photos, now for about six years! I bought a small card to start with, but then realising they work really WELL, I don’t need to use them right through the year! As the fly/bugs breeding cycles start in the spring through to about Help!!! Black fly problem (Autumn) so cost wise they are my saviour & worth every penny.

    Stay Lucky


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  25. #14
    Just a quick follow up the the dunks?
    Previously I went through what you guys are experiencing now, So I though get an industrial bug Lamp like the ones you see in Butchers etc....., so mine went up ( in my filter house right over the first filter bay (still Old school)four bay setup) within days the thing was totally blocked up with dead bugs, ( you couldn’t see the uv lamps) so took out the bottom tray, & fed them to the koi! But I was doing this every couple of days, for ages! That’s not the solution then!
    After finding the dunks, & as I said they kill everything from eggs upwards, within a few weeks my super industrial bug killer remained free from bugs! & has now been switched OFF for about 8 or more years! No Bull a true story.

    Stay Lucky


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  27. #15
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
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    thanks Silver wolf ref the dunks.....how is your solar heater doing ? yours is a big double coil set up do you know roughly how many litres per hour yours runs at and what temps are you achieving on an average basis?
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

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  29. #16
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
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    Cannot seem to find a mosquito dunk supplier within the UK, there are some USA suppliers on Fleabay 20 for around £20 which is fine but looks like there are additional import duties and broker fee's, does anyone have any experience of this ?
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

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  31. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by smartin View Post
    Cannot seem to find a mosquito dunk supplier within the UK, there are some USA suppliers on Fleabay 20 for around £20 which is fine but looks like there are additional import duties and broker fee's, does anyone have any experience of this ?
    6 for £34 on Amazon
    19,000 litres
    Nexus 320 with Dracodrum and submersible UV
    Blue Eco 320
    Eazy Pod on skimmer
    Dura+ 10kW Heat Pump
    15 koi

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  33. #18
    Smartin
    sorry for the delay in responding, I only get on here once a day( as I posted some time after Christmas I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer, & am currently deferred for radiotherapy, but the side effects of the treatment, is not helping) so day to day is a bit of a lottery!
    Today I went out to the filter house & measured my flow rate from my solar system, 1 Litre =20 seconds therefore 3 L per min, & 180 LH so not a lot! I have a very small pump ( not variable) but has a 6 meter head. It’s about 4 meters from my pumps position in my filters, to the top of my Solar system.
    As previously posted the temperature output is not stupendous @ about 3 to 5°c above the ambient pond temp.

    With me keeping koi inside a polytunnel, (permanently) my pond temps are very slow to react to outside conditions, so smoothing out the highs & lows from wind chill etc, currently today mine is @ 17°c, but will slowly run up to high twenties in the height of summer, so much so I have a large sail shade that’s up & down like the proverbial!!
    Remember I am holding about 8,000 uk gallons, so with Solar & the polytunnel it’s accumulative both ways,
    Hope this helps

    Stay Lucky


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  35. #19
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by silver.wolf.9883 View Post
    Smartin
    sorry for the delay in responding, I only get on here once a day( as I posted some time after Christmas I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer, & am currently deferred for radiotherapy, but the side effects of the treatment, is not helping) so day to day is a bit of a lottery!
    Today I went out to the filter house & measured my flow rate from my solar system, 1 Litre =20 seconds therefore 3 L per min, & 180 LH so not a lot! I have a very small pump ( not variable) but has a 6 meter head. It’s about 4 meters from my pumps position in my filters, to the top of my Solar system.
    As previously posted the temperature output is not stupendous @ about 3 to 5°c above the ambient pond temp.

    With me keeping koi inside a polytunnel, (permanently) my pond temps are very slow to react to outside conditions, so smoothing out the highs & lows from wind chill etc, currently today mine is @ 17°c, but will slowly run up to high twenties in the height of summer, so much so I have a large sail shade that’s up & down like the proverbial!!
    Remember I am holding about 8,000 uk gallons, so with Solar & the polytunnel it’s accumulative both ways,
    Hope this helps

    Stay Lucky


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    Hi Silverwolf, i hope the treatment is helping you and i am wishing you the very best for a full recovery, my father in law has the same condition but sadly unable to have treatment apart from hormone stomach injections due to other health issues..... its not been a great year or so....... thanks for your feedback ref your heater, well i think that's pretty good if your running at 3 lpm with an increase of around 3 to 5 degree's that's very helpful like you say to help stabilise water temps especially with 8000 gallons, that's a lovely sized pond, today i was at lpm and had between 23 and 26 degree's as sporadic sunshine..... will play more tomorrow in better heat, all the best to you SW, regards Steve.

    Ps regarding the dunks are you purchasing here in the UK or from the States ?
    Last edited by smartin; 17-05-2020 at 08:18 PM.
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

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  37. #20
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by balder View Post
    6 for £34 on Amazon
    Hi Balder,

    that's silly money, £5.66 each plus postage, wow...
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

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