Gardening Secrets

 Gardening Secrets Home | Gardening Blog | Landscaping | Lawn Care Tips | Gardening Directory | Site Map

Translate: English German Spanish French Italian Portuguese Russian Japanese Korean Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Dutch Greek

toro-43-gallon-spring-bucket
Toro 43-Gallon Spring Bucket
Great for fallen leaves, grass clippings, weeds, plant material and more. It is made from mildew resistant and UV treated mesh-supported plastic canvas, and it has an extra strong springs...
the-gardener-s-handbook
The Gardener's Handbook
Discover The Amazing Secrets The Experts Keep Quiet, That Save Time And Money And Deliver Real Results In Just A Matter Of Days... Even If You've Never Gardened Before!
mulcher&-electric-leaf-shredder
Mulcher& Electric Leaf Shredder
Mulching or composting leaves, wet or dry, will never be any easier! The versatile design of this thermally protected machine runs on household current.

Mosquito Farms? Is That What Water Gardens Are?



Gardener's Supply Company

Organic Vegetable Gardening.
75% Affiliate Payout - Organic Vegetable Gardening Ebook. Even A Novice Can Start An Organic Garden With This Simple Guide. Complete Step By Step Gardening Guide.

Bonsai Gardening Secrets.
Discover Over 95 Pages Of Insider Secrets To Creating Stunning Bonsai Trees.

Home Hydroponic Gardening Guide - Learn To Grow Hydroponics.
The Hydroponic Garden Guide Provides You With Everything You Need To Know To Get Started With Hydroponics. It Covers All Of The Bases So That You Understand All Of The Essentials Along With Step-by-step Instructions And A Handy Checklist Of To Do Tasks.

Self-Sufficient-Life.com.
Keeping And Raising Chickens And Poultry. Build A Chicken Coop. Growing Your Own Fruit And Vegetables. Beekeeping (Honey Bees). Herbal Remedies, Herbs, Remedy. Hydroponic Gardening, Hydroponics Garden. Building Your Own Greenhouse.


What is nicer that a lovely backyard garden pond. The lush growth rising above the water, graceful fish darting about and the soothing sound of the water. These are just a few of the reasons people are drawn to water gardens.

But when you think about adding a water feature to your garden, you are torn, because you know that a charming pond can also be a mosquito hatchery. And, everyone is concerned; rightly, about mosquitoes and the diseases they spread.

It is true, mosquitoes do need water to breed, but at the same time, there are so many effective ways to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in ponds, you should not let that stop you. Water gardeners are in a unique position; they can have wet spaces that can actually help stop mosquitoes from breeding.

Just a few simple precautions are all you need to feel safe and enjoy such a wonderful addition to the landscape.

If you have a water garden, or want one, try these suggestions.

  • Have moving water in your water garden. Mosquitoes will not lay eggs in running water. The newly hatched mosquito must rest on the water's surface for a few minutes to let its wings dry. If the water is moving, the female mosquito will not lay eggs there.

  • Get some mosquito fish for your pond. Mosquito fish, or gambusia affinis, are very aggressive predators of mosquito larvae. They are also aggressive to other fish and will also eat dragonfly larvae, or nymphs. If mosquito fish are too predatory for your particular tastes, several other types of fish readily consume mosquito larvae, such as guppies, killifish, and small goldfish. Koi are too large and will not target the larvae.

  • Add Bti to your pond. Bti is a naturally occurring type of bacillus that is eaten by the mosquito larvae, and rapidly kills them. It is not harmful to fish, pets, wildlife or humans. It is sold under such names as Mosquito Dunks, or Mosquito Bits.

  • Add dragonfly larvae, or nymphs, to your pond. They are voracious predators of mosquito larvae, and while the mosquito larvae stay in that stage for only a few days, the dragonfly nymphs stay in the larval stage for up to two years, and can prey on many generations of mosquito larvae. And, when they become adults, the dragonfly feeds on adult mosquitoes too.

  • Invite toads into your yard. One toad can consume up to 100 mosquitoes and slugs per night. They lay their eggs in water, so the pond will attract them. If happy with its environment, a toad can grace your garden for up to 20 years. And the tadpoles will eat mosquito larvae also.

  • As an overall precaution, get a propane powered mosquito trap, such as the Mosquito Magnet, to reduce the mosquito population in your garden area. These are the most effective mosquito killers around, and they will capture (and kill) the mosquitoes that your natural controls miss.

With the growing concern about mosquito diseases, like West Nile virus, malaria, and dengue fever, it is natural to feel reluctance to add any water source around your home. With the right precautions, you can beautify your garden and still feel secure that you are not inviting mosquitoes into your immediate environment.

If water gardening appeals to you, just educate yourself, take the needed precautions, and get ready to enjoy the beauty and serenity a water feature adds to your home.

About The Author

Scottie Johnson is a life long mosquito warrior and freelance author. For more detailed information about mosquito kill and having a mosquito free life, please visit her website at www.mosquito-kill-net.com.

Copyright 2004, all rights reserved.

This article may be duplicated for use provided all biographical information and web links are preserved.

article@mosquito-kill-net.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Examiner.com

Native landscaping versus xeriscaping
Examiner.com - 1 hour ago
by Jaime Zaplatosch, Chicago Gardening Examiner Many people use the word "xeriscaping" liberally to refer to landscapes that don't require much or any water ...


Gardening Calendar, updated Dec 2
TCPalm, FL - 1 hour ago
McKee Botanical Garden, Vero Beach, 6-8 pm, Dec. 18-21. $3.50-$6. (772) 794-0601. "Florida Native Landscaping": University of Florida/IFAS Indian River ...


Horticulture Is In Her Blood
Tampa Tribune, FL - Nov 30, 2008
"That's too much of drinking water on landscaping." She also supervises 48 master gardeners, who are essentially volunteers trained by the extension service ...


Weekly Vista

Garden stores have plenty to offer during winter season
Weekly Vista, AR - Nov 26, 2008
But, on the contrary, there are many things available at garden shops that are viable year-round. Village Garden and Landscaping At Village Garden and ...


Landscape company lands coveted Bog Oak accolade
Belfast Telegraph, United Kingdom - Nov 10, 2008
By Margaret Canning A Belfast landscape gardening business has won a coveted award for its work on a private garden. Cameron Landscapes won the Bog Oak ...


Home & Garden Calendar
Asheville Citizen-Times, NC - Nov 28, 2008
WREATH-MAKING WORKSHOPS: 10 am and 2 pm Friday at Reems Creek Nursery & Landscaping, 70 Monticello Road, Weaverville. The 10 am session will be on how to ...


Georgina Garden Centre earns landscape awards
Georgina Advocate, Canada - Nov 26, 2008
The goal of the organization is to support, promote and educate everything horticultural, including gardening, landscape design, landscaping, and property ...


Carrying on a tradition of nobility
Petaluma Argus Courier, CA - Nov 26, 2008
True to his heritage, Hagiwara-Nagata has won landscaping and gardening awards, and has been actively involved in local and national projects. ...


Dallas Morning News

6 Fort Worth garden shops built their way up on a dream
Dallas Morning News, TX - Nov 19, 2008
These days he is designing tropical landscapes on golf courses, planting pots for Neiman Marcus and stocking an eclectic nursery with plants and garden ...


Coastal voices: Council thoughts on first week in office
Daily Triplicate, CA - Nov 29, 2008
See about some new design ideas to solve problems and then hand it off to their maintenance and landscaping people; or maybe connect them with gardeners to ...

landscaping gardening - Google News


suncast-db5000-deck-box
Suncast DB5000 Deck Box
Keep frequently used garden trowels and clippers accessible by stowing such tools in this convenient 50-gallon deck box from Suncast. The deck box provides 6.8 cubic feet of storage...
the-gardener-s-handbook
The Gardener's Handbook
Discover The Amazing Secrets The Experts Keep Quiet, That Save Time And Money And Deliver Real Results In Just A Matter Of Days... Even If You've Never Gardened Before!
felco-original-hand-pruner
Felco Original Hand Pruner
These classic Felco pruners set the standard by which all others are judged. The choice of landscape professionals, nursery workers, and savvy gardeners around the globe...
home | site map
Gardening Secrets © 2006 - All Rights Reserved Worldwide