A tip that I just got from a friend. He has raised beds and he puts a water barrel in the end of it to scoop water and 2 large goldfish to eat the mosquito nats.
I thought the goldfish was a brilliant idea
Yes, goldfish work well for this, if you want you can overwinter them and put them back out the next year. Sometimes things will go "fishing" and you will lose them.. minnow's will also work for this.. My mom would have use catch a couple minnows each spring and into the rain barrels they would go, any that lived though the whole summer, went back to the river in the late fall.
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I have two small ponds in the yard and I keep goldfish in them. Makes my wife happy and I see stored water and protein. I created under gravel filters for the ponds this keeps the water good and clean. My pond pumps plug in but number one son put one in his yard and it runs on solar. I tried cat tails in one pond but this worked too well, over ran the pond completely in a couple of years.
Yes, goldfish work well for this, if you want you can overwinter them and put them back out the next year. Sometimes things will go "fishing" and you will lose them.. minnow's will also work for this.. My mom would have use catch a couple minnows each spring and into the rain barrels they would go, any that lived though the whole summer, went back to the river in the late fall.
Do you know how your mom found using minnows with the heat? I remember the last time I used open top rain barrels (I gave up on the netting due to critters & tree waste) the water seemed to get really warm.
I have two small ponds in the yard and I keep goldfish in them. Makes my wife happy and I see stored water and protein. I created under gravel filters for the ponds this keeps the water good and clean. My pond pumps plug in but number one son put one in his yard and it runs on solar. I tried cat tails in one pond but this worked too well, over ran the pond completely in a couple of years.
Hello Doug
When I had smaller ponds, using the water features the pond does not risk going stagnate. I think mosquitos need still water to lay their eggs and for the young to successfully hatch and mature.
I have been working on an idea for using whirly gigs for larger ponds where I don't want to use a water feature.
Sounds interesting, whirly gigs stir the surface, mess with the mosquitoes and break the surface scum allowing oxygenation. Good stuff, thanks for the thoughts Oldschool.
Sounds interesting, whirly gigs stir the surface, mess with the mosquitoes and break the surface scum allowing oxygenation. Good stuff, thanks for the thoughts Oldschool.
Actually I was hoping to be able to take it one step further. Have a whirly gig up top with a "rod" turning a whirly gig below the surface.
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