What have you found works to keep mosquitoes from breeding in standing water?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What have you found works to keep mosquitoes from breeding in standing water?

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:25:27 PM EDT

I've got a 1 acre retention pond near my house and some ditches leading to it as well. The last time it filled up(like now) it took 4+ months to go away. I know about all the different products, but, what have you tried that worked?

Keep in mind, we are on a well here so dumping tons of chemies in is not an option.

Has anyone tried fish? My friend told me to release a bunch of feeder fish in the pond and eventually they would eat all the larve. Sounds feasible since feeders are cheap around here. I can get 2 dozen for a dollar. I would buy a lot if it would work.

Disclaimer: Attention PETA. I don't care about the eventual slow death of a bunch of fish.

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:26:34 PM EDT

[#1]

ddt

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:26:37 PM EDT

[#2]

Lotsa fish of some kind...

Chemicals bad

And... uhh... tannerite

- BG

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:29:16 PM EDT

[#3]

Google it be your friend...!

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:29:20 PM EDT

[#4]

napalm

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:30:46 PM EDT

[#5]

In small ponds I've heard that creating an oil slick with vegetable oil will kill the larvae.
Not sure if it would work on an acre. It'd take alot of veggie oil. 55 gallon drum? ;-)

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:33:14 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
In small ponds I've heard that creating an oil slick with vegetable oil will kill the larvae.
Not sure if it would work on an acre. It'd take alot of veggie oil. 55 gallon drum? ;-)

What he said, an oily film on the surface will smother the little larve.

Tj

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:43:37 PM EDT

[#7]

Mosquito larvae have to touch the surface of the water to "breathe", therefore anything that disrupts the surface tension of the water will do it. When the surface tension is disrupted, they drop away from the surface and drown.

Gasoline, detergents, etc... I knew that information would come in handy someday.

-Hobbit

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:43:58 PM EDT

[#8]

Tannerite! Once a day, every day!

CJ

Posted: 9/25/2004 1:45:39 PM EDT

[#9]

DDT or napalm.

Kharn

Posted: 9/25/2004 2:01:52 PM EDT

[#10]

Gasoline works pretty good but isn't very friendly to the enviroment.

Posted: 9/25/2004 2:07:38 PM EDT

[#11]

Mud minnow.
They feed on mosquito larve and they are cheap.

Posted: 9/25/2004 2:17:50 PM EDT

[#12]

There is a (safe) bacterial product, developed in Israel years ago. Paralysis of the gut of insects (tomato worms, caterpillers)...one strain definately works on skeeters.

Bt (BT (Bacillus thuringiensis)

See www.gardensalive.com for the 'donut shaped' disks that float in ponds, specifically for skeeter control.

Mosquito Dunks®
Kills mosquitoes without sprays or making the water harmful to birds or pets. Last 30 days.

Elminate mosquitoes in standing water without pesticides, and without making the water harmful to birds, pets, fish and wildlife. Mosquito Dunks contain Bt israelensis, a naturally occurring biological organism which kills the mosquito larvae that feed on it. Use in bird baths, ponds, rain barrels, gutters - anywhere standing water collects. One doughnut covers 100 square feet and lasts 30 days.

No affiliation with Gardens Alive, just a happy customer for over a decade. Plus I hate mosquitoes.

Gwen
bug free in L.A.

EDITED TO ADD: for large ponds, see more info at http://www.nal.usda.gov/bic/BTTOX/bttoxin.htm

Posted: 9/25/2004 2:43:00 PM EDT

[#13]

100 square feet per donute..

40,000 sq feet plus per acre.. lets see.. 400 perfectly positioned donutes?

Posted: 9/25/2004 9:12:11 PM EDT

[#14]

Way back when they were trying to build the Panama Canal the bigget problem was malaria. A doctor realized that mosquitos were carrying malaria so they set up sprinkers and sprayed oil everywhere to kill the mosquito larvae.

Posted: 9/25/2004 9:18:58 PM EDT

[#15]

There are several varieties of fish that feed on mosquito larvae. If you have anything desirable living in the pond, anything oil/detergent that forms an airtight seal may kill that off to if it lasts too long If you don't need the fish, crawdads, etc, then vegetable oil would work better than a petroeum based oil if you don't want to have the lasting negative effects of the petroleum. Plus if any animal drinks out of it they may get the shits but it won't kill them.

Posted: 9/25/2004 9:34:30 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Quoted:
In small ponds I've heard that creating an oil slick with vegetable oil will kill the larvae.
Not sure if it would work on an acre. It'd take alot of veggie oil. 55 gallon drum? ;-)

What he said, an oily film on the surface will smother the little larve.

Tj

Yep, I was told that in the days before DDT and modern pesticides about a quart of used motor oil worked for 5 acre pond or slough. Used oil was also used to keep down dust on gravel roads. Do it now and expect huge fines. Would veggie oil be considered an offense? Don't know.

Posted: 9/25/2004 9:37:29 PM EDT

[#17]

oil slick, it doesn't take much at all.

Posted: 9/25/2004 9:42:57 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
In small ponds I've heard that creating an oil slick with vegetable oil will kill the larvae.
Not sure if it would work on an acre. It'd take alot of veggie oil. 55 gallon drum? ;-)

little goes a LONG way.

Posted: 9/25/2004 9:45:19 PM EDT

[#19]

Check out some internet sites about Ponds. There is a specific fish that eats the larve. It's called the Mosquito Fish. You should keep water in your pond all year round, just put some plants in it for the fish to have some shade and to eat.

Posted: 9/25/2004 10:06:04 PM EDT

[#20]

Fish.

Posted: 9/25/2004 10:07:32 PM EDT

[#21]

Bats love mosquitos.

Posted: 9/25/2004 10:08:30 PM EDT

[#22]

Mosquito Dunks®

Sounds like an evil cereal.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What have you found works to keep mosquitoes from breeding in standing water?

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