Control of Biomphalaria Glabrata in a Small Reservoir by Fluctuation of the Water Level

Abstract
A method to control the propagation of Biomphalaria glabrata by fluctuation of water level had been studied in the laboratory. The practical effectiveness of the method was tested in three similar farm ponds, with stable populations of B. glabrata, in Puerto Rico. Two ponds were used as controls; in the third, periodic fluctuations of water level were introduced by means of a siphon. Snail populations in the three ponds were measured periodically for 14 months after the first fluctuation, and data for the three ponds were compared. In the treated pond, adult B. glabrata were stranded, and oviposition stopped. Four months after siphoning began the snail population disappeared, but the populations in the control ponds remained normal. Although this method of controlling B. glabrata in ponds appears effective, exact drawdown rates necessary for the design of siphons have not been determined.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: