Question:
If puddles form in my new bog garden which is separate from my pond,
how do I control mosquitos?
Should I have a shallow layer of water and mosquito fish? Wouldn't
the temperature extremes be too great for the fish?
Should I keep the top of the soil from puddling and if so, how?
Answer:
-Most of the mosquito species here in the Bay Area take at least 1-2
weeks to go from egg to adult. If the puddles in your bog garden are
allowed to dry to the surface it will kill any developing larva. You
can then add more water. Mosquitoes must have free water to develop,
so if the surface of the bog pond is kept just above the puddling level,
you will probably not have any problems.
Mosquito fish can tolerate fairly high temperature extremes and will go
into water as shallow as .5 inch, if they have an escape to deeper
water. A shallow layer of water with fish may be an attractant to
predators e.g. raccoons that may tear up your bog plants while hunting.
If you need to control mosquitoes in the bog, you might try Bti “donuts”
available from your local nursery. You may also be able to get advice
from you local mosquito abatement District
There is some information
http://mosquito.lanminds.com/index.html
- Mosquito Dunks are not chemicals. They contain a dried bacillus that
attacks primarily the larva. They will not affect plants, fish, or pets
that drink the water. One possible downside is that they may kill off some
of the lower invertebrates.
