Guide for Controlling the Mosquito Population of a Pond
Get Mosquitoes to Buzz Off!
Mosquitos are a nuisance, cause itchy bites, and may assist in the spreading of disease. As such, it is very important to control their populations within your backyard.
These steps will keep mosquitoes from breeding in garden ponds this summer:
- Stock ponds with fish that eat mosquito larvae.
- Mosquito Fish (Gambusina affinis) can eat up to 100 mosquito larvae a day, but they are aggressive and will also eat other fish
- Minnows and Goldfish are good alternatives when Mosquito Fish are not an option
- Move your pond water around.
- Moving water is KEY to keeping mosquitos away; stagnant water is what brings them around and allows them to breed.
- By using a nozzle kit, waterfall, or spitter it keeps the water agitated and mosquito-free!
- Use surface film larvicides or mosquito treatments
- Arosurf and Agnique are two commercial names for this type of larvicide
- The film coats the surface of the water, lowering surface tension and drowning the larvae
- These will not harm humans, fish, or other wildlife
- Reduce surface-level plants in ponds.
- Mosquito larvae can hide from fish and insecticide when there are large clumps of vegetation