Foreclosures result in neglected ponds and pools, and that fosters uncontrolled mosquito breeding.
One of the hazards of living near water is the possibility of mosquitoes breeding and laying larvae in the water, where they burrow into the mud until it's time to pupate and hatch into adult mosquitoes. Garden ponds and other areas of standing water encouraging mosquito breeding, and that can be a health hazard, particularly if the mosquitoes carry West Nile virus. Does this Spark an idea?
Stagnant Water
Mosquitoes prefer still, stagnant water, so an effective way of dispersing them is to provide a means of keeping bodies of water moving. A solar-powered pump can produce enough energy in your pond for a small fountain or cascade. Keep an eye on other garden containers that might hold water, such as old flower pots, buckets and birdbaths, and empty them out after rain. Dips and hollows can become waterlogged, too, so level them with soil to prevent their becoming a boggy haven for mozzies.
Ponds and Greenery
P.J. Waters of the Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center advises that you keep vegetation around the edges of ponds to a minimum, and that you deepen the sides to prevent shallow water being used as a nursery for the mosquito larvae. Keep the perimeter well-weeded, too, as mosquitoes like the shelter provided by low-lying greenery next to water.
Mosquito Fish
If you're fed up with mosquitoes eating you alive, stock your pond with a fish species that will eat them. Robert Duryea of the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology recommends mosquito fish, or Gambusia affinis, that have been cutting a swathe through mosquito populations since 1905. The provisos are that you must reduce the amount of floating weed and plants, you must restock each year to keep a minimum of 50 fish for the most effective mosquito control, and you must not allow any harmful pesticides to leak into your pond.
Doughnuts for Mosquitoes
According to Amy Dreves of the Oregon State University Extension Service, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is lethal to mosquito larvae when they feed on it but is harmless to other pond life, children, pets and birds. The soil bacterium is delivered in small mosquito dunks, or rings. The manufacturer, U-Spray Inc., says one ring is sufficient for 100 square feet of surface water, lasts for three to four weeks, and can be broken into smaller pieces for smaller areas. Killing the larvae at a consistent rate will make a drastic reduction in the number of adult mosquitoes.
Tags: your pond, adult mosquitoes, mosquito breeding, mosquito larvae