Coontail Control: How To Get Rid of Coontail

This page is a general coontail control guide. Using the products and methods suggested, you will get control of coontail. Follow this guide and use the recommended products; we guarantee 100% control of coontail.

Coontail is a common aquatic weed found in ponds, lakes, and streams across the United States, Mexico, Canada, and much of the world. It is an invasive aquatic weed that grows below the water's surface. If left unchecked, this free-floating plant can form thick bunches covering large segments of a lake or pond.

Coontail does provide some benefits in bodies of water where it grows since fish like to consume the plant and frequent areas where it is plentiful. However, most pond and lake owners find Coontail to do more harm than good when it is significant in number, as it makes a pond look unappealing for fishing or swimming.

If Coontail appears on your water property, the following DIY guide will help you eliminate the invasion. Our experts have put together easy, step-by-step directions for treating coontail cost-effectively using our professional-grade aquatic herbicides.

Identification

Before proceeding with a treatment program, you must be sure you are dealing with a coontail infestation. Careless identification can lead to using the wrong treatment methods, which can waste time and money. Below are the following characteristics to help you understand what coontail looks like.

• Coontail is often confused with milfoil or fanwort. The distinguishing characteristics of coontail plants are their green, forked, serrated leaves, which feel stiff to the touch and are arranged on stems in whorls. This arrangement resembles a raccoon's tail, which is why the plant is named coontail.
• Coontail multiples and spreads via tiny seeds and fragmentation. Fragmentation is a process that takes place when a part of the plant breaks off and forms into a new coontail plant.

Use our description and image to help you identify whether the plant you are encountering is coontail. If you need some assistance, contact us. We will help you correctly identify the plant and offer effective control recommendations.

Inspection

Once you have correctly identified the coontail, you need to perform an inspection before carrying out any chemical control treatments. It would be best if you saw where the coontail is concentrated and how severe an invasion it is.

Where To Inspect

Survey the body of water where the coontail is growing, which can be a pond or lake. It must be taken into consideration how the lake or pond is used, the size of the lake, the aquatic life that inhabits the water, and the wildlife that frequents the water.

Asking yourself these questions will help you determine the best aquatic herbicide for your particular situation and how to approach treatment so that the habitat and aquatic wildlife are not harmed.

What to look for

If you have coontail, finding them should be pretty easy. Look for its free-floating, feathery, fan-shaped leaves. You'll notice it has a rough feel due to its several small teeth on the midriff.

Treatment

If you wish to go the mechanical route, you could grab a rake and remove the coontail this way, but chances are you have a lot of coontail on your pond or water body, so that would be time-consuming. The best option we recommend taking is aquatic herbicides.

Our top recommendation for treating coontail is Flumigard WDG (Clipper) Aquatic Herbicide Flumioxazin. This product is a fast-acting aquatic herbicide that does a great job of killing coontail. Before mixing and applying this product into a sprayer, make sure you put on the proper PPE (gloves, glasses, respirator mask)

Step 1: Prepare and Mix

Before mixing and application, you will need to calculate the size of the water body you wish to treat to determine how much Flumigard WDG (Clipper) Aquatic Herbicide Flumioxazin you will need.

For water bodies, the measurement is usually done by calculating the acreage or acre-foot. To do this, measure the length, width, and average depth of the water body in feet then divide by 43,560 (Length (ft) x Width (ft) x Average Depth (ft) / 43,560 = Acre-feet).

For surface applications, use 6 to 12 oz. of Flumigard WDG (Clipper) Aquatic Herbicide Flumioxazin per 30 gallons of water per acre.

Step 2: Apply Flumigard WDG (Clipper) Aquatic Herbicide Flumioxazin to target Coontail

Once the Flumigard WDG (Clipper) Aquatic Herbicide Flumioxazin is well-mixed. Depending on the targeted weed and the water’s depth, you can spray the herbicide over the water along the shoreline, spot-treat coontail that has reached the water's surface, or broadcast spray over the water’s surface.

Use a fan spray nozzle to ensure an even coating on the water surface.

Timing is important when treating coontail. Spraying them between late July and the first frost is recommended when the plant is actively growing.

Step 3: Follow Up Applications

Depending on the size of your pond or lake, you may need to conduct treatment in sections, waiting 2 weeks between treatments until you’ve treated the entire body of water. Reapplication may be necessary 28 days after the initial application is complete. Coontail can be a stubborn weed to remove so monitoring your water is key and repeated application is crucial to get complete control.

Once coontail has been treated, it usually does not grow back because it doesn't have any roots. However, since it is gone, other weeds may take its place, so reapplication may be needed to keep the water clear.

Prevention

Once coontail has been eliminated from your property, you must implement preventative measures to ensure that it does not return.

• Apply Vision Pond Dye to your pond to discourage the re-establishment of coontail. This product is a filtering agent that reduces pond sunlight, hindering photosynthesis and plant growth. On top of that, the dye keeps your water looking great. Based on your pond area measurement findings, measure the appropriate amount of Vision Pond Dye into a bucket. The label recommends applying at a rate of 1 quart per 1 surface acre of water at a 5-foot average depth. Pour the pond dye over the edge directly into the body of water, and the water's natural movement will disperse the dye.

Key Takeaways

What is Coontail?

• Coontail is a rootless, free-floating invasive plant that can overtake a pond and choke it of its nutrients.

How to Get Rid of Coontail

• Flumigard WDG (Clipper) Aquatic Herbicide Flumioxazin is our go-to recommendation for treating coontail. It kills the plant quickly and all plant cells on contact.

Preventing Coontail Reinfestations

• Vision Pond Dye can help to prevent coontail from growing after control.