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Top 5 Mosquito Swat Team Tips
Spend your late afternoons outside enjoying your peaceful water garden without constantly swatting away a swarm of biting insects. Since mosquitoes breed in any still water they can find, having a pond in your backyard may invite these annoying pests. Although you cannot eliminate mosquitoes entirely, you can significantly decrease their population. Here are our Top 5 Tips your family's mosquito swat team should have in its arsenal:
1.) Stir Up Stagnant Water Breeding Areas
Mosquitoes avoid breeding in moving water. Add a water feature such as a waterfall, fountain, or aerator. These options will not only enhance your pond's beauty, but will also prevent it from becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
2.) Declare Biological Warfare on Swimming Larvae
Fortify your pond with a product that contains the natural larvicide, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). They are safe for people, pets, plants, and fish, but effectively eradicate mosquito larvae without harmful chemicals.
3.) Call in the Mosquito-Eating Air Force
Give mosquito-swooping bats a home by placing a bat house in your backyard. Bats are renowned for keeping night-flying insects at bay, and a favorite bat meal is mosquitoes.
4.) Set a Bug Ambush
Capture mosquitoes using a variety of poison-free insect traps. These feature non toxic pheromones or appetizing food-based baits to attract and trap annoying pests inside a plastic jar.
5.) Stock Fish to Stalk Mosquitoes from Below
Koi, Goldfish, and other larvae-eating fish feast on mosquitoes below the surface of your pond. These mosquito-hungry fish are great for your pond and water garden but should not be released to any natural body of water. In fact, they could cause more harm that easily overshadows their mosquito-eating benefit.
Remember, mosquitoes are more than just pesky insects - they are also carriers of West Nile Virus and heartworm. Taking steps to prevent your pond from becoming a neighborhood breeding ground will benefit your family's health while making those evenings by the pond more enjoyable for everyone.
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