Standing water can encourage mosquitoes to breed.
Rain barrels are excellent means of capturing water for use in gardens and yards, but they can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The pests love to lay eggs in standing water, including in rain barrels. Does this Spark an idea?
Cover the Barrels
If your rain barrel is open-ended, cover it with a fine mesh screen. Be sure standing water does not cover the screen; mosquitoes can breed and lay eggs on the surface of the water covering the screen. Mosquitoes cannot breed if they cannot reach the water.
Empty Barrels Regularly
Rain barrels are not meant to serve as permanent or long-term water storage. Emptying the barrels at least once every seven days will prevent mosquitoes from breeding in the water.
Cover Overflow Hoses
Many manufactured rain barrels are not open-ended, but attached to downspouts and equipped with overflow hoses. Mosquitoes have been found in these barrels, having entered through the ends of the overflow hoses. Cover the end of hoses with fine mesh screen, which can be attached with clamps.
Mosquito Dunks
Available in hardware stores and from online retailers, mosquito dunks release Bacillus thuringiensis, an additive that kills mosquitoes and larvae in standing water for up to 30 days. Bt is nontoxic to wildlife, plants and people.
Tags: fine mesh, fine mesh screen, mesh screen, mosquitoes breed, overflow hoses