A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Mosquito problem in back yard fountain...

I apologize if this has been addressed before, but I have a fountain in my back yard that is always loaded with mosquito larvae/mosquitos and algea. It is not a pond at all, but one of those three-tiered fountains you plug in and water trickles from the top and down, recirculating over and over. There doesn't appear to be any way to filter it, etc. (we inherited this fountain from the previous owners and I didn't even realize it circulated until I noticed the plug buried behind the bushes--ha, ha.

Anyway, someone suggested putting bleach in it, but I don't want to hurt the plants or the birds. What are these mosquito fish I have read about? Would they work in a fountain? Or would they be sucked down into the recirculation hole (it's about 2 cm in diameter)?

Thanks in advance,
Kim

I planted some citronella (spelling) that I bought from Walmart for $1 each. Planted a boarder around out fountain base, and placed three pots on the lowest level of the fountain (raised so the pots dodn't touch the water). it seemed to work, give it a try!

Kim, if you can't find citronella plants, maybe you could throw a mosquito dunk in the top tier. They are harmless to everything but mosquitos.

The fish might get stuck, like you said.

What great ideas! I would love to try the citronella.

Thanks
Kim

Kim, hopefully I am not tooo late on this reply, I haven't been to the site for quite some time.

My grandmothers old remedy follows, fool proof and sure to work, guaranted now by the University of Guelph Ontario Canada:

For a regular sized rain barrel, the old oil drum style, put 1/2 box of baking soda. This keeps the eggs within your water from hatching and kills them off.

Also add to each drum, about 1/8 cup of vegetable or olive oil. This sits on the top of your water and doesn't allow the mature mosquitoes to either lay their eggs into the water or hatch them out of the water.

Neither the baking soda nor the oil will harm any plant, any other bug, or any animal or fish that may happen to be in or drink this water. Not birds either.

Completely chemical free and totally safe.

This remedy also works just fine with any stagnant water you have laying around, though I suggest you simply empty that water, but if you don't have any pumps running in your rain barrels, this works 100%.

If you get lots of rains, restock the oil and the baking soda when you think it may be all ran out. I do mine about once a month. I get little rain in the mid of summer here though.

I really hope this helps you and your fountain dilema.

Everyone trying to kill off mosquitoes with chemicals, please save a little part of the earth in your own backyards, and use this remedy instead. It is also Much much cheaper.

)

Great info Cece. I'm writing this down for future reference!