The Impact of Great Diving Beetles on Pond Ecosystems

Where Do Diving Beetles Live?

As the name suggests, predaceous diving beetles prefer an inland aquatic habitat. They stay in ponds, billabongs, slow streams, and lakes. 

In some cases, they can also stay in mildly saline waters, but usually, they prefer clean, fresh water. 

When residing in larger water bodies, they often choose to stick near the vegetation growing around the shoreline to avoid predators like fish, frogs, and water spiders. 

Adult diving beetles hunt in these water bodies and eat other insects that live or accidentally fall into the water. They can also hunt small fish and tadpoles. 

Once they catch bigger prey, they tear it into small chunks before eating. 

The diving beetle larvae also live in the same water bodies and are voracious predators. 

Are They Beneficial To Ponds?

Diving beetles are considered beneficial for the ponds due to the fact that they eat almost all kinds of water pests, including snails, tiny frogs, salamanders, and more. 

These aquatic beetles also feed on dead insects in water bodies. This makes them a great way to keep the pond clean naturally. 

Diving beetles are also great hunters of the dreaded mosquito larvae that grow around water bodies. Therefore having them near a pond is excellent for pest control.

Another significant advantage of having these beetles in ponds is that the diving beetle population in water bodies helps to determine a lot about the health of the water. 

These beetles cannot survive if the water body is too polluted with salts and other chemicals. 

They need clean and well-oxygenated water. Therefore by studying diving beetle health in the water body, one can determine the quality of the water.  

What Problems Can Arise By Keeping Them In Garden Ponds?

The diving beetles are not a good fit for garden ponds if they have fish in them. They can’t co-exist with fish. 

Fishes in such an aquatic habitat will easily hunt these beetles and eat them. 

On top of that, a fish produces chemical cues, which scare beetles by telling them that there is a dangerous predator in the aquarium. 

Hence, they will avoid and escape your garden pond. In some cases, the bigger adult beetles can hunt small live fish. 

Also, having these beetles in your garden ponds will slowly eliminate frogs as the diving beetle larvae actively consume tadpoles as well.

Are They Dangerous To Humans?

Adult diving beetles and larvae are capable of biting people, but the bite doesn’t cause any severe harm. 

The toxins and digestive juices transferred through the bite are not strong enough to make a human sick. 

However, you might get a little intimidated when you see a bunch of these beetles in a pond swimming near you. 

Also, if the bite triggers an allergic reaction in your body, seek medical attention immediately. 

The diving beetles are attracted to light sources. As a result, they might come to your home if you put them in your garden pond. 

It can get a little annoying to have these beetles flying around your house, creating a nuisance. 

But rest assured, they are not dangerous in any way and will go back to the water pretty quickly because they can’t survive for very long without it.

But there is no need to be scared of them. In fact, they can be great for eliminating the pests like mosquito larvae near your home. However, if you are having issues that you feel you need a professional for call the number below.

Subject: Predaceous Diving