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I brainstormed up this project when I got attacked to death by mosquitos on my front lawn, this summer.
It turns out the neighbors had left a garbage can full of water when they moved out. My husband dumped the water, but the damage was done and the buggers were buzzing all over us in the evenings.
Well, I decided to throw something a little earth-friendly together. Citronella wasn't acceptable, because I have dogs and that stuff is pure torture to their noses. Pesticides should be illegal, so I wasn't about to do that. This project is what I came up with.
Hope it works as well for you as it did for me!
This project should take you all of a half hour to assemble, and a couple minutes a week to maintain. The cost is ridiculously cheap. Time spent on getting supplies will vary. Ok, let's get started!
It turns out the neighbors had left a garbage can full of water when they moved out. My husband dumped the water, but the damage was done and the buggers were buzzing all over us in the evenings.
Well, I decided to throw something a little earth-friendly together. Citronella wasn't acceptable, because I have dogs and that stuff is pure torture to their noses. Pesticides should be illegal, so I wasn't about to do that. This project is what I came up with.
Hope it works as well for you as it did for me!
This project should take you all of a half hour to assemble, and a couple minutes a week to maintain. The cost is ridiculously cheap. Time spent on getting supplies will vary. Ok, let's get started!
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Here are the items you will need:
1) Cat litter box OR another wide, shallow, waterproof vessel to contain your mosquito-eaters. Tall is no good. Without surface tension, the fish will die from oxygen deprivation. Just like with a fish tank... tall = less oxygen / wide = more oxygen. Heck, you could even use an old fish tank, if you have one lying around.
2) Water conditioner, to make the water safe for the fish. Read the instructions on the bottle. I eyeballed the measurements, once I had read the amount per gallon. It's not rocket science, so don't panic! Most pet suppliers will carry this sort of stuff as well. Inexpensive and a little goes a long way.
3) Guppies! You can get them at most aquatic-dealer pet shops, as they are used to feed to larger fish. They're also common as heck in ponds just about everywhere. They're those tiny tiny fish that crowd together and somehow manage to survive in the most stagnant looking waters. They cost about a dollar for a dozen. The amount you purchase will depend on the size of your container. Warning- They breed like mad. I wouldn't recommend starting with more than one dozen for most containers!
4)Plants. More on that later.
1) Cat litter box OR another wide, shallow, waterproof vessel to contain your mosquito-eaters. Tall is no good. Without surface tension, the fish will die from oxygen deprivation. Just like with a fish tank... tall = less oxygen / wide = more oxygen. Heck, you could even use an old fish tank, if you have one lying around.
2) Water conditioner, to make the water safe for the fish. Read the instructions on the bottle. I eyeballed the measurements, once I had read the amount per gallon. It's not rocket science, so don't panic! Most pet suppliers will carry this sort of stuff as well. Inexpensive and a little goes a long way.
3) Guppies! You can get them at most aquatic-dealer pet shops, as they are used to feed to larger fish. They're also common as heck in ponds just about everywhere. They're those tiny tiny fish that crowd together and somehow manage to survive in the most stagnant looking waters. They cost about a dollar for a dozen. The amount you purchase will depend on the size of your container. Warning- They breed like mad. I wouldn't recommend starting with more than one dozen for most containers!
4)Plants. More on that later.
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I don't worry about mosquito nymphs 'cause as soon as the little buggers take to the air my own personal airborne strike force takes them down.
'Course at night I get the benefits of my bat houses.
Then sometimes I set out containers of water and let the mosquitoes waste their eggs, because when the nymphs get to the hatching stage I use the water to keep my compost bins moist (and add some protein).
Can't get much lazier than that.
I went to a fish store and bought a dozen goldfish and a small can of food to ease the mind of my friends Dad.
I dumped the goldfish into the well and a month later there were no more mosquitoes. The well was 6 feet deep so the fish had lotsa room to move around.
The next spring the fish were bigger and just waiting for the bugs to drop by.
These feeder goldfish got to be 4 inches long and had babies.
I joked that they should sell tickets to go fishing.
Cheap, "eco-friendly" and simple.
This works for watering troughs that do not constantly overflow, puddles, unwanted ponds, ornamental ponds, garbage cans, etc.
I can't remember who told me about this, but if you take a white plate and fill it about half full of water and put a drop or two of dishwashing soap into it the mosquitos will come by and get a drink due to their need for water, fly off about maybe ten feet and fall to the ground dead. The soap kills them and one drink is all it takes. The purpose of the white plate is to attract them so I'm told. After use you can throw the soap on the lawn, it will only help loosen the soil, no harm done! I would put the plate where pets can't get to it - if they drink the water it could cause them to get dirrhea, not a good thing. If larvae are found in a puddle, adding a few drops of the soap will kill them also.
When I was growing up we used a waterer for hogs that used an open top 55 gallon drum and we kept a small bottle of soap down there in case mosquitos laid eggs in the water there, add a few drops and the next day they're dead.
Also, hang some hummingbird feeders. While they do love sugar-water, hummingbirds obtain their protein from eating small flying insects like gnats and mozzies. Planting hummingbird-friendly flowers will help as well.
Putting out ponds like yours will help reduce future generations, as will doing a sweep of the neighborhood for standing water. Be sure to check your gutters and any other areas where water can accumulate. Mozzies will breed in as little as a bottle-cap full of water, but simply *can't* breed unless they do have standing water.
If you want a bigger pondlet, you might add a simple air pump to move the water around a little. Aquarium stores sell pumps for $5-$10, add an airstone and some clear tubing and you've got a good way to agitate the water enough to make a big difference in the fishes health. Most pumps aren't waterproof, so protect it from the rain.