Canadian
Pond Newsletter June 2005 Issue: 6 Vol: 1
December
2004 Newsletter | January 2005 Newsletter | February
2005 | March 2005
| April
2005 | June 2005
| July
2005 | August 2005 | September
2005 | December 2005
Meet
Raphaël et Pascal
First we want to congratulate Raphaël et
Pascal who did a very informative display about windmills at the Expo-Science
fair at their school here in Knowlton. We were proud to have been able to help
them out with a bit of information regarding our windmills used for aerating.
They put together a very comprehensive project about all different types of windmills
for the science fair. By helping educate their classmates about renewable energy
and applications for windmills they are making the next generation more aware
of the importance of exploring cleaner alternatives for energy production.
Way to go guys!!
We here at CanadianPond.ca typically use
our windmills for aerating ponds but since last month we have also been active
in promoting and installing electric generating windmills. If you have any questions
regarding our wind or solar power systems call us at 450-243-0976 and ask for
Chris.
CANADIANPOND.CA
SUMMER PONDS PHOTO CONTEST! 
This
month is the start of our first annual summer photo contest. We are looking for
the most incredible photo you have of your pond. Maybe you have a great picture
of the morning mist on the lilly pads or a frog dancing on a cattail? We are looking
for pictures that you feel best represent your pond experience. You can include
people or pets or anything you like as long as it was taken between June 1st 2005
and the close of the contest August 1, 2005. Winners will be announced in the
September Newsletter. Send your photos to dmilligan@canadianpond.ca
. Don't forget to write a caption! Our judges are often swayed by pond poetry!
Limit of 3 photos per person please.
|
NEW
FROM CANADIANPOND.CA FOR 2005!
LEECHES
Are
they really so menacing?
Many
of our clients complain when they notice leeches in their ponds. The complaints
are based on fear, but are they really justified? In the following article we
will clarify the role of leeches in the aquatic ecosystem and learn about some
of the advantages of having leeches in you pond. You`ll see, they really aren`t
so terrifying! In total on Earth there exists close to 700 different species of
leeches. All are carnivores but not all are haematophages (who are nourished by
blood), many only eat worms, mollusks, insect larvae, and othe little organisms
that populate the aquatic environment. Of those that enjoy blood, few enjoy human
blood. In Canada, only one leech specie will chase your baby toe in the water
: Macrobdella decors, or the medicinal leech of North America. Other leech species
that feed on blood will choose frogs, snails, turtles, ducks over your tender
flesh anyday. In Europe there are many species of bloodsuckers that prefer human
blood. The most famous of these being Hirudo medicinalis which is now close to
extinction but was once used widely in medical practices across Europe for treating
many human ailments. 
Since
human blood is not always easy to find (few of us stroll in the water for the
simple pleasure of feeding our friends Macrobdella decors), this last evolutionary
period brought frogs to thrive in our ponds. Frogs are the second favourite food
for our leech friend. We generally find frogs in many water environments today,
calm waters either warm or cold are normally homes to many species of frogs. Better
than baiting leeches with bottled contraptions of rotting meat, consider going
at the source of the problem by reducing (in a food chain sort of way) the leech
population. Back to the frogs. If frogs are abundant, leeches will be too. Reduce
frogs, reduce leeches. 
Who
eats frogs you ask?, why small mouthed bass eat frogs and tadpoles and they are
suited to warmer pond water. Before you leap to the natural conclusion about fragile
frog populations, introducing a few bass into your pond won`t eliminate all frogs,
nor all leeches, it will simply help control a problem situation. And BBQ bass
tastes! Leeches are a wonder of nature that deserve our admiration. To avoid attracting
our attention and for efficient latching, the leeche inject us at the precise
moment of attachment, with an anesthetic and an anticoagulant. Even though they
do not transport any disease, care (cleaning and covering site) must be taken
after the leech detaches, since blood can continue to flow for up to 10 hours
afterward. Isn`t that amazing! So what are you to do when a hungry leech attatches
onto your leg? Don`t panic! If you are patient, you can let the leech take breakfast
(it never over eats!) then it will detach itself as quietly as can be, and go
and hide at the bottom of the pond for weeks or months. Remember, you won`t feel
any pain from the leech, only a heat sensation at the dinner site. The pain comes
when you try to rip off the leech from your skin. If you cannot wait for Macrobdella
decors to finish eating, carefully dislodge it with the odour of a burning cigarette
or sprinkle salt on it.
Leeches
are not detested by everyone. Their analgesic, anesthetic, and anticoagulant virtues
have made many micro-surgeons happy. To such a point that a company in England
specialises in the commercialization of these little critters. So just remember,
there is only one kind of leech in all of Canada that wants your blood, if it
finds you it won`t hurt, in fact it is inviting you to become apart of its food
chain. Just stock your pond with small mouthed bass, and eventually you`ll get
your blood back! Happy pondering!
Antoine
Rempp, Ing. jr
Ecodesign Akwatec inc. (Knowlton,QC Canada) TEL: 450-243-0976
www.akwatec.ca
Références
:
Photos : Article "Fear no leeches. Swimming with bloodsuckers"
publié dans le Canadian Geographic, Juillet/Août 2004