Mosquitos in my tank

[rdk]

I have a 30 gal. barrel filter that I recently looked into and found it filled with flying mosquitos. My pump is 750 gph for a 400 gal pond. Should I use mosquito dunks? My pond has goldfish. Is this normal? RDK.

 

[j.w]

Can't you just purge out the filter? Do you have a way to let the water out of it using an off and on valve? Anything w/ standing water will get skeeters in it. Once you get rid of them can you fix some fiberglass screen material to cover the access areas where the skeeters are getting in? It won't hurt anything to use the dunks I don't think. They are supposed to be fish friendly if you can believe it.

 

[addy1]

Get a few minnows, the will scarf them up. Or clean, wipe out, then put a screen over the top like jw says, window or door screening.

 

[rdk]

I can put a screen on top of the tank but how fine a screen fo I need? RDK

 

[j.w]

Go to Lowes or H-depot and buy a roll of their screen door screen fiberglass material stuff. It's cheap!

 

[Waterbug]

Or let the mosquitoes lay their eggs in the filter, the larva should be washed into the pond where they will be eaten. They're going to lay their eggs someplace, better if they end up as food. May as well put the fish to good use.

If I saw mosquito larva in the tank it would be a different matter.

 

[j.w]

Ok I thought what he meant was he saw the little larvae in their swimming around and was just calling them little mosquito's. So yes if the larvae will be sent swimming to the fish through the filter then no need to do anything but let the fish pig out on them. If they are somehow trapped in the filter tho then use the screen to keep the adult skeeters from laying the eggs in there.

 

[rdk]

J.W. What I am seeing is thousands for flying mosquitos above the water line in my 30 gal barrel tank. I was under the opinion that running water from a 750 gph pump would not breed mosquitos but I might be wrong. RDK.

 

[Waterbug]

It's a bit of a myth that mosquitoes won't breed in moving water. They don't like fast moving water, but will lay eggs in slow moving water. Even with fast moving water there are normally calm areas along the sides, around plants, etc. Mosquitoes and ponds

 

[fishin4cars]

Take some listerine and put it in a clean/new spray bottle, walk out at least 10-20 feet away from the pond and mist/spray the outer area. I'm almost certain that it wouldn't effect the pond if a little mist got in but I can't guarantee. My wife read about the listerine in a home and garden magazine and gave it a try. It does help alot. Cheap and plant safe for sure. Also it's safe for animals that's why I'm quessing fish safe, but as precaution I wouldn't spray it directly on the pond. As for them laying eggs, Let them, goldfish love them, super food.

 

[Waterbug]

I hadn't heard the Listerine idea before...so I headed to Snopes which is always my first stop when hearing about home remedies.

 

[rdk]

I bought microbe -lift mosquito control and used it. I bought the screening material like J.W. said and covered the barrel top. I now have thousands of flying mosquitos trapped in the barrel. What should I do. RDK.

 

[j.w]

Be glad, be very glad they can't come after you! You could spray them w/ a hose through the screen and send them down into the water where they will drown I would think. If they end up in the water will they flow down to the fish? Cuz if so then the fish will grab them all up........yum!

 

[addy1]

I bought microbe -lift mosquito control and used it. I bought the screening material like J.W. said and covered the barrel top. I now have thousands of flying mosquitos trapped in the barrel. What should I do. RDK.

keep them trapped! they will die

 

[rdk]

Thank you very much. RDK