Return to the Growing Tomatoes Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
Posted by yrdling U:8A A:9 S:33 (My Page) on Fri, Jul 3, 09 at 19:38
| I built 12 earthtainers this year for my tomatoes, and they have worked well. However, they have provided a breeding ground for mosquitos. Lots of mosquitos.
I didn't really think that mosquitos would find their way inside, but I guess they went down the watering pipe or in the drain holes in the side. If I water to excess so that a lot of water pours out the drain hole, the mosquito eggs come pouring out too, so I know I've got a lot of them.
What can I do to kill the colonies of mosquitos that are breeding in my earthtainers that won't harm my tomatoes? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
| Are you using an old aerosol can cap to keep over the filler tube? Also, you can take small pieces of window screen to place over the overflow holes (which I suspect is how they are getting into the 'Tainer). Use tape to secure the screen "patch" to the outside of the container walls. Before you do this, purge a good deal of water out of the water reservoir to try to flush the mosquito eggs out of the 'Tainer. I would hesitate about using an insecticide injected into the water reservoir, unless it is a totally safe product. Not an expert in this area, so hopefully, others will give you guidance. Raybo |
RE: Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
| Taping screen material over the drain holes sounds like a good idea, Raybo. I'll do that. I don't have a bunch of old aerosol can caps, but I got plastic dixie cups. That should do the trick too. Yes, I hope someone can weigh in on a safe treatment for the water, but I'm not going to use a pesticide. |
RE: Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
| 'Mosquito Bits' http://www.azponds.com/mosquito_products.htm Raybo's solution is better, but this is simple if the problem is already there. |
Here is a link that might be useful: mosquito control
RE: Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
| "Mosquito Dunks" are a non toxic remedy which, when put in the water reservoir, kills mosquito larvae. Available at Wal-Mart, Ace, nurseries, everywhere. They look like little donuts. The granules mentioned are the same thing just granular form, but I have seen the "Dunks" available more widely so may they be easier to find. I put landscape fabric (the black mulch stuff) over the hole and tape it with a fat rubber band to keep the skeeters out. |
RE: Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
| Great feedback folks. Thank you all. I'll have this problem licked tomorrow when I get to the store to get some of those non-toxic mosquito dunks / bits. |
RE: Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
| If you are going to drop the dunks down rhe filler tube, pull up the tube one inch, put them in, then squirt down the filler tube with a hose to disperse them throughout the water reservoir. Be sure when finished to push the filler tube back down in place. Raybo |
RE: Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
| I don't have this problem in my Earthtainers, but in some of my other SWC (Garden Patch), which have a big opening in the bottom to allow for watering from the roots/wicking, I have seen a lot of mosquitoes fly out when I water. I know ideally you're not supposed to let the water well dry up for wicking, but if I allow it to go completely dry for 1-2 days, would it kill the mosquito eggs in there? And if I did this and then re-watered the well, would it hurt the wicking? I don't think that the soil would go dry in the 1-2 days that the well is dry, so that's why I'm thinking this should be okay. Thanks! |
RE: Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
| I live in Florida but I don't have a mosquito problem probably because I mount aerosol can caps on each filler tube. I also installed "Nylon Barb to MIP Adapters" on all the overflow holes so I can daisy chain my EarthTainers together. Guess the 'skeeters can't get in. :) I still use Mosquito Dunks in other places around my yard, like the bird bath. They work great and are sold at garden centers everywhere including Lowes, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart. Here's an idea for using them in an EarthTainer: 1. As one whole "dunk" is overkill for an EarthTainer (a whole one treats 100 sq feet of standing water), break one into 4 or 5 small quarter inch pieces. 2. Take one piece and wrap it in non-metallic screen material so it forms a little sachet/bag/sack, and tie it off with fishing line. 3. Make a tiny hole at the top of an aerosol can cap, thread one end of a 20-inch fishing line up through the hole from the inside and make a big knot on top. 4. Tie a secure noose (one that won't open easily) at the other end of the line, and then attach the mosquito-dunk-sachet-bag. 5. Drop the bag down the EarthTainer fill tube and rest the aeresol can cap securely on top. (Be sure to pull the bag back out and check to see if its wet so you know if your line is long enough for the dunk to sit in the water). Replace the dunk in the sachet every 30 days. By the way, Mosquito Dunks do not harm people, pets, birds, fish, or plants. Happy Gardening!
Chris |
RE: Earthtainer mosquitos
| | |
- Posted by bets z5A ID (My Page) on
Sun, Nov 1, 09 at 9:44
| glchen, Eggs from some species of mosquitoes can last from 3 months to two years in a dry environment. That's how they are able to come back the next year as the female mosquito only lives for about a month. So, drying your SWCs out for a couple of days will not work. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Mosquito Life Cycle
Post a Follow-Up
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Growing Tomatoes Forum
|
|
|
