Anyone with a pond in their garden urged to do 1 thing this week

are being urged to do one thing with their ponds this week to prevent having issues further down the line. It's the perfect time to get out into our outdoor spaces as the evenings are light and the is heating up.

Anyone with a pond is being advised to take a simple step to protect and fish. The task should be completed at the start of May ahead of the upcoming summer months.

Experts from are urging people to scoop out pondweed, blanketweed and algae from their ponds and water features. They can each have a negative impact on a pond's ecosystem and should be removed as soon as possible.

Pondweeds can smother other plants and reduce oxygen levels. They can also block sunlight which leads to problems for fish and other aquatic creatures.

Meanwhile, blanketweed also reduces oxygen levels and blocks sunlight going into ponds. This has the potential to harm fish and plants.

As well lowering oxygen, algae can block pond inflows and outflows. It also has the ability to produce toxins which can poison wildlife.

Algae can also make water murky and accumulate as green scum around pond edges. It produces dense strands of floating green growth which can ruin ponds.

While all of these weeds have the ability to negatively impact wildlife, a gardening expert previously on how to create a pond to encourage and help living organisms. They advised making sure your pond is in a spot where there are equal amounts of sun and shade to avoid planktonic algae from growing.

A garden pond should mimic the natural shape and feel of a natural body of water. Rugged, sloping edges help wildlife to access the pond and allow plants to grow around the edge, creating habitat and food for animals.

During the summer you may also need to top up the pond. It's important to use rainwater at the same temperature to avoid shocking the ecosystem.

Including plants such as water lilies, lotus, water soldiers, and hornwort will help create a thriving habitat, provide food sources, and offer a breeding ground for wildlife. Water lilies will also attract pollinators into your garden.