Agreed. I unearthed so many ant grubs the last week putting in flowers, I felt guilty. The only ants I am concerned about here (since we don't have fire ants) are the Allegheny mound building ants. I had one of the first mounds in the county. They are moving into our area and inject formic acid into the soil to purposely kill flora so it doesn't interfere with their castle building. That being said, the original mound is still where it was ten years ago...... and the vegetation is still alive, so even that is likely not as big a deal as represented. We seem to peacefully co-exist as I do with most critters on my property.

An algicide is a quick temporary fix. I never use it since chemicals aren't a good solution in the long run. Fathead minnows are good to keep the mosquitos in check. I use them in my ponds and bog gardens in southern Colorado. Fathead minnow breed and multiply really fast. So they will provide food for the bluegills and bass. These type fish do not show up well in the water anyway due to their darker colors so why worry about algae. Nature will eventually balance it out, but it will never be completely clear like a mountain stream. If your want clear water you need a good biofilter. Some waterweeds would also help and provide the fish something to hide in. Go to one of the local lakes and gets some from there. That is what I did and they worked much better than those from the pet store. Your bluegills will grow fairly fast and get much larger than in the local lakes. I feed mine regular goldfish floating pellets which they eat well. So it sounds like you are on the way. Just stop using those algicides. How large is your pond? Since you are stocking with game fish I am assuming it is large?

I suspect it's a seasonal nuisance. In other words, annoying but not damaging. Gather tham with a vacuum.

just really heavy rains, usually 2-3 times a year. This year we had more. I am not so worried about insects as rot and mildew from moisture, and keeping small animals out. The ground is sloped for good drainage and we are going to keep that slope. Water does not sit in that area. We will have weed fabric on the ground with gravel over it, whatever that is worth.