How to Kill Mosquitoes in a Pond
Mosquitoes can spread West Nile virus and make backyard outings miserable. Stagnant ponds provide the perfect breeding and hatching grounds for mosquitoes. The best natural method used to kill mosquitoes in a pond begins with the establishment of a complete pond ecosystem. If you have a mosquito problem and you're looking for a remedy to the biting madness, chemical sprays should be used as a last resort. The health risks to humans and the environment associated with chemical pesticides require the expertise of a certified pesticide applicator. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Potted marginal bog plants
- Lawn seed
- Seed spreader
- Rake
- Sprinkler
- 6 to 10 mosquitofish
- Bubble aerator
Instructions
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Plant bog-loving aquatics along the shallow edges of the pond to create vegetative buffers. Purchase potted bog plants that can be placed along the shallows of the pond. Place them in water deep enough to cover the entire pot. As the plants bloom and seed, they will establish thicker stands in the years to come. These buffers provide hiding places for the many winged predators of mosquitoes.
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Plant grass along the edges of the pond to reduce the amount of organic material traveling to the pond during rainstorms. Mosquito larvae feed on organic matter, and if you stop the matter from entering the pond, the larvae will starve. The grass helps keep organic matter out of the pond. Broadcast the lawn seed over the soil. Rake the soil to mix the seed in and then keep it wet during the 14-day germination, sprouting and growing cycle. Use a sprinkler to keep the grass seed moist.
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Stock the pond with six to 10 mosquitofish. Mosquitofish sexually mature at 6 to 8 weeks old and give live birth to their young. The fish eat up to 500 mosquito larvae per day. Aerate the pond with a bubble aerator to supply the fish with oxygen.
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Tips & Warnings
Minnows and goldfish can also be used to kill mosquitoes.
The use of chemical sprays should only be used by a certified pesticide applicator.
References
- Purdue University Extension; Management of Ponds, Wetlands, and Other Water Reservoirs to Minimize Mosquitoes; John MacDonald, et al.; June 2003
- Texas A&M University Aggie Horticulture: Plant Life
- All About Lawns; Planting By Seed; Dawn West; August 2006
- Los Angeles County: West Vector & Vector-Borne Disease Control District: Mosquito Fish
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
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Comments
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Chemical-free Mosquito Control. I sometimes leave my yard cart (like a wheelbarrow) out in the rain to collect water, where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. After 3 days I empty the water onto the ground, killing the eggs. A pond with goldfish, likewise, can trick mosquitoes into laying their eggs in a place where they'll be destroyed.
