We have been asked on occasion by Phoenix homeowners if they can put crawdads in their Phoenix pond. Let’s explore that a bit…
What are Crawdads?
Crawdads. Crayfish. Crawfish. Mud bugs. Yabbies. All of these names refer to a 10-legged “mini lobster” that inhabits many of the fresh water ecosystems on our planet outside of India and Antarctica.
Here in Phoenix, they are NOT native, but rather were imported by early settlers and are currently listed by our Arizona Game and Fish Department as “highly invasive.” They are omnivorous and voracious competitors to most of our native freshwater species. They have decimated the aquatic plant life in many of our mountain streams and they do serious damage to stream banks, causing some major erosion issues. So, from a conservation perspective, they are not welcome here in Phoenix.
Crawdads come in a wide variety of sizes and colors, which is probably why some people think they would be of added interest in their pond. Of the nearly 600 known species of Decapods, 30% are listed as endangered, and very little is actually known about another 20%. The fish tank trade ships them all over the world with different marketing names like “blue lobsters.” They are an important part of the natural food chain in their NATIVE environments, providing food for raccoons, birds, predatory fish, snakes, and last year people consumed an estimated 75,000 tons of them! To each their own.
Are Crawdads Okay to Put in my Phoenix Pond?
We do NOT recommend keeping them in your Sonoran Desert backyard pond for several reasons:
- Most of them are prolific and short-lived. Once you have an established population, they are difficult to eradicate, and the dead ones will sit behind your rockwork and stink up your yard, as well as providing food for algae blooms.
- Gardening your aquatic plants is no fun with mudbugs pinching your digits every time you try to divide an aquatic plant. They’re just not respectful when it comes to gardening.
- They will catch and kill your pet fish every chance they get. Yikes!
- The Arizona Game and Fish Department has them listed as “invasive and unwanted” in our Great State 48. Aquatic pets like crawdads have a habit of escaping into our wild ecosystems and wreaking havoc.
- Many species of crawdads are diggers and will spend endless hours working on a way to get that 3’ deep tunnel they are programmed to build into your pond membrane system. It will be difficult for them to get through most high quality liners like EPDM or RPP; however, with the tools Mother Nature gave them, they very well may get through anything.
In summary, The Pond Gnome does NOT recommend having crawdads in your Phoenix pond, and our service techs are not willing to service a pond containing them.
Serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Arizona (AZ) & Surrounding Areas
To Learn More About Pond Installation: https://pondgnome.com/pond-construction-phoenix-az/
