Manky “pond”

Carly-Jayne said:

I have a tiny container pond that I’m struggling to maintain because it’s so small. It’s basically stagnant water in bowl full of leaves & gunk & I want rid. I do have a bigger, healthier water feature so it’s not the end of the world in that regard. However, it isn’t completely lifeless, there are microscopic things whizzing around & lots of dronefly larvae (which gives you an idea of how rank the water is!) I’m unsure what my approach should be. Should I bite the bullet & get rid now (although I’m hesitant to kill off what’s inside (not a bug fan but I appreciate their value) wait a period of time (how long roughly) or maybe wait for the water to simply evaporate through the summer, etc etc X 

It doesn't take long for bugs and larvae to inhabit a water source, static or moving.

There will be lots of bugs, mayfly, dragon or damsel fly larvae, all of which will spend several years maturing before they emerge as the flying insects we know. Gnats, and other species will also be present, so your bowl of stagnant water will be a home to a lot of small creatures.

I'm no expert, in fact, I couldn't be further from an expert, I'd be tempted not to advise mixing the stagnant water with the healthier water feature. What you finally do, I'm at a loss to advise, but at least you will have an idea of what is in there, and the length of time they will spend before maturity, emerging as one of the many insects we see.