Dealing with Mosquitoes
Are mosquitos "killing your buzz" and preventing you from enjoying your backyard and garden? There are ways to prevent mosquitoes from colonizing in your garden, and if they've already taken over your water features, treat them without hurting your wildlife that may drink from the water. Mosquitos can quickly ruin an outdoor activity and make spending time outside a major bummer when you're quickly itchy and covered in red bumps. Learn more about mosquitos and how you can prevent and treat them in your garden.
Mosquitos are Sneaky
According to the CDC, female mosquitoes lay around 100 eggs at a time and can wait up to 8 months outside of water to hatch. Mosquito eggs are hardy and sticky. Mosquitos can lay their eggs on the walls of a planter, bowl, or fountain and wait until they have a little bit of water to hatch and turn into larvae.
Mosquito eggs look like black dirt, which makes them easily disguisable on water features, planters, and other items around the garden and patio. Because the mosquito eggs can dry out and wait to be "activated" by water, you may find your fountain suddenly filled with mosquito larvae and in a few days, adult mosquitos.
Stagnant Water Attracts Mosquitoes
Typically female mosquitoes will lay their eggs just above the waterline of a water source, like a water feature or pond. The water source doesn't even need to be that big to provide the perfect spawning area; it could be a planter with just half an inch of water left in it. Mosquitos need still, unmoving water for their eggs to hatch and become larvae.
The larvae and following pupa stages of the mosquito's life are aquatic. During the pup stage, the adult mosquito forms, eventually breaking out of the pupal shell when it's an adult and ready to leave the water and fly. Running water like fountains makes it harder for the mosquitos to complete their life cycle, but it can still happen.
Prevention and Treatment of Mosquitos
The first step in preventing mosquitoes in your garden, porch, or patio, is to remove any sources of standing water, no matter how shallow. Keep your fountains running 24/7, especially during the summer. Mosquitos love the heat; warm weather speeds up their lifecycle. If you do want to stop running your fountain, drain it thoroughly before putting it away.
If you have a water feature that already has mosquito larvae or want to take a preventative measure, the Gardenique Mosquito Treatment controls mosquito larvae in just 24 hours. The treatments are water-soluble pouches that you can put in your birdbaths, fountains, or any other sources of standing water and treat larvae for up to 14 days. The Mosquito Treatment is safe for all fish, plants, amphibians, and wildlife.
Spending time outdoors is great for your mental and physical health. Sitting in your backyard, listening to your fountain bubble instantly relieves stress. Mosquitos can quickly take over your yard and spoil your outdoor fun. You can prevent mosquitos by keeping your fountains running and pour out any standing water in your yard (no matter how small). You can also use the Gardenique Mosquito Treatment to treat your fountains, birdbaths, and other areas with still water so you can enjoy being outside.