How to Kill Mosquito Larvae in Standing Water

Mosquitos lay eggs in standing water.

Mosquitoes can be a real problem wherever there is standing water. These pests lay their eggs in water where the larva develop into adult mosquitos. The adult female needs protein to develop her eggs, and she gets it by biting humans and animals. Not only are mosquito bites annoying, they can be deadly. Mosquitoes are capable of transmitting diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus. The easiest way to control mosquitoes in standing water is by using the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis Israelensis. The bacteria attacks the larval mosquitoes from the inside and kills them. You can buy bacterial spores in the form of floating doughnut shaped cakes called mosquito dunks.

Things You'll Need

• Mosquito dunks

Instructions

1. Calculate the square footage on the surface of the body of water you want to treat. The depth of the water doesn't matter, only the area on the surface. One mosquito dunk treats 100 square feet of water.

2. Break the dunks into pieces for smaller bodies of water. Each half is suitable for 5 to 25 square feet of water, while a quarter piece can treat 1 to 5 square feet.

3. Throw the mosquito dunks or pieces of the dunks into the water.

4. Check on the dunks after 30 days. Add more dunks if they have dissolved away.

Tips & Warnings

• You may need to use up to four times the recommended dosage if the water is polluted or has a high organic content.

• Mosquito dunks are not recommended for drinking water, but can be used if the water is filtered first.

References

• Contractors Depot: Mosquito Dunks
• United States Environmental Protection Agency: Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis strain EG2215 (006476) Fact Sheet