How to stop mosquitoes breeding in water butts

pjandjoy

I've read elsewhere the tips relating to using olive oil etc, but being a confirmed and (some might say unadaptable) 'dunker' not wishing to have messy cans, I was wondering if an alternative would be to stop the blighters laying their eggs in the first place, by inducing movement of the water surface, as they apparently don't lay in moving water.

Has anyone tried using aquarium air or submersible water pumps to achieve such surface movement, and if so was it successful, please?

It may be regarded as relatively expensive, but then that is my choice, and I need a permanent solution.

Advice appreciated.

Thanks.

Peter

Pete.8

I would think an airstone would work.
A pump and airstone would cost under a tenner and even quite powerful pumps only use 3-4w leccy and you wouldn't need a powerful pump so long as the airstone is just under the surface which would cause enough disturbance to prevent them.
Just be aware that there will be a constant hummm....

pjandjoy

Thanks for your encouraging comments. As an ex-aquarist I'm well aware of the noise problem, but it would be remote anyway. My main concern would be how reliable some of the cheaper ones are.

wild edges

Is there any reason why you can just chuck a cover over them?

Pete.8

I've had tropical fish for nearly 60 years - the only bit that's likely to wear out after several years is the diaphragm and as you'll only be using it for part of the year whatever you get should last several years at worst.
Do remember to keep the pump above the level of your water butt - just in case.

pjandjoy

Appreciate the comment, but the cover I have is not a tight fit, as it has a cutout for a drain pipe to feed water in from my greenhouse roof. I've tried sealing it, but they still get in somehow!

wild edges

Do you get standing water in the greenhouse gutters? Sometimes eggs are laid up there and wash down into the butts later.

Pete.8

The larvae have to 'breathe' at the surface.
The agitated water would stop them doing this so they wouldn't survive

floralies

I would have thought that if you tape up the hole where the drain pipe goes in and use the tap at the bottom of the butt instead of "dunking" that would solve the problem?

pjandjoy

Thanks, but my butt is not high enough and access is restricted.

wild edges

pjandjoy said:

Thanks, but my butt is not high enough and access is restricted.