Ponds are cute, they add overwhelming beauty to your garden or backyard. It looks like a little oasis amidst most city neighborhoods. But have you ever imagined it to become a nightmare for you? Well, to be honest, this can happen easily. Ponds have standing water which provides a perfect breeding environment for mosquito larvae. This lures mama mosquito to lay eggs in your pond and that’s it! From here on, begin your troublesome days.
Your pond will become a super habitat for eggs to mature.
Oh! And more thing: Mosquitos never like leaving their breeding areas where they have matured. So, be ready to combat mosquito infestation within days, or else, you have a big task up to your sleeve. However, just like for most problems, there has to be a solution. There is always something that can be done to tackle such a situation.
There are some ways to make it stop and control their population.
Flowing Water
First things first, you need to keep the water flowing. The eggs of mosquitos are unable to survive in water currents. Of course, we all know water in a pond is stagnant. The simple solution would be to add a fountain or electrical aeration pump. This way there will be motion in the pond, which is actually quite healthy for other aquatic and plant life living inside.
Insecticides
When you want mosquitos to stay away from your pond, it doesn’t mean you want other wildlife to migrate also. You would want them to stay and think of your pond as their nice abode, after all, they add immense beauty to it.
This is why you should avoid using harmful and concentrated insecticides which are loaded with chemicals. Go for bacterial insecticides as these will kill mosquitos and their larvae without harming other wildlife in the vicinity such as birds, fishes, and other plants and animals.
You can invest in mosquito dunk as well, it is easily available at garden centers and hardware stores. The dunks are good for almost a month.
Marine Life
The fish in your pond are natural predators of mosquitos. They love feeding on these annoying beings. Good for us! Simple suggestion, add more marine life to your pond. Apart from the fish population, dragonflies and other animals also eat these blood-sucking parasites. Try to create a habitat for these creatures in your garden near the pool. If you want to do something bigger for the community and go beyond protecting your own backyard, then you can support conservation effort within your community.
You can always get some help around your pond from your aquatic friends. Topminnows, killifishes, and tadpoles all love to feast on mosquito larvae. Local resources are the best option to get species of fish who can survive in the environment and are native to the area.
Vegetation
Moist plant life provides a great opportunity for adult mosquitos to thrive on. Lush vegetation surrounding the pond is the place they will absolute love, if these areas are tidy and trimmed regularly. Overgrown vegetation, dead plants, and weed lure them and they will be enticed to lay eggs in your pond. So, you better never give them a chance to visit your pond side often.
Make sure that the standing water of your pond is treated or not standing still for a long while.