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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

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Original poster

I have mosquito larvae in my water butt

18 replies

bran · 01/07/2006 11:37

I'm quite surprised and wonder if it's a sign of global warming. Fortunately dh knew what to do to kill them as he comes from Malaysia. I've poured a layer of cooking oil onto the top of the water so that they can't breath so hopefully they'll die soon.

OP posts:

Freckle · 01/07/2006 11:49

Oh is that what you do? We have masses in a water feature made from a half-barrel lined with pond liner. Was wondering how to kill them. However, would it affect all the lovely baby water snails that are in there too?

expatinscotland · 01/07/2006 11:53

they're already seeing malaria in the US.

expatinscotland · 01/07/2006 11:53

they've had dengue fever and west nile virus there for a few years now.

Original poster

bran · 01/07/2006 12:06

It might not kill the snails Freckle, after all they can crawl through the oil to get out and breath. I think if you have larvae you should probably kill them though as it would be unpleasant when they mature into mosquitos. You could also buy some small fish for your water feature as they regard mosquito larvae as a tasty treat.

Malaria is a bit worrying isn't it, I think that you can only catch it if you are bitten a mosquito that has recently bitten a malarial person (I think within 30 mins or something). So the chances of catching it are low unless you live in an area where there are lots of people who travel to or originate from malarial areas (like London where I am). Also, I don't think all breeds of mosquito can carry malaria, but it's still a scary thought that these diseases might come here.

OP posts:

squarer · 01/07/2006 12:11

Don't water snails stay in the water and breathe like fish?
Any bit of water that is undisturbed gets filled with mosquito larvae doesn't it? I'm sure, has done for years. I remember my neighbours water butt when we were growing up (I actually thought they were germs!!!!)

Pruni · 01/07/2006 12:15

Message withdrawn

squarer · 01/07/2006 12:25

everything you ever needed to know about your pond snails Freckle! I love the "if you build it, they will come" nod to Field of Dreams!

Seems some do one, some do the other. I wouldn't risk reducing the oxygen to the water for the sake of a couple of hundred mozzies. There's millions more likely to take their place!

eldestgirl · 01/07/2006 12:41

We always had mosquito larvae in our water butt when I was a child (1970s). We used to call them "squigglies" and fill jam jars with our "pets". Kept us entertained for hours! Don't think my Dad ever did anything to get rid of them. We had no mossie bites either.

Original poster

bran · 01/07/2006 13:58

Oh good, if it's a normal thing to have mozzie larvae then I'll stop panicing about future mosquito swarms on my terrace.

OP posts:

iota · 01/07/2006 14:00

we get larvae in the paddling pool if it's out for a few days

squarer · 01/07/2006 14:07

pmsl at Eldestgirl and your pet squigglies

BadHair · 01/07/2006 14:10

I got bitten by a mosquito during primary school assembly in 1982. I knew it was a mosquito, but my teacher didn't believe me and seeing as I'd squashed the thing to a pulp I had no proof.

squarer · 01/07/2006 14:12

EH??
I get bitten by a mosquito nearly every day and kill about 10 a day (seemingly).
You can't tell me you have only ever seen one mozzie in 1982 Badhair, surely????

Original poster

bran · 01/07/2006 14:13

LOL Badhair, does the injustice of not being believed still rankle?

OP posts:

BadHair · 01/07/2006 14:21

Yes, there has only ever been one mozzie in the Cheshire/Shropshire border areas, and I squished it back in '82. Never seen one in the UK since.

Injustice does still rankle - I could have caught malaria, for heaven's sake. Why did they not rush me to A&E? Actually, I really did think I might catch a nasty disease and looked up malaria symptoms next time we had the school visit to the library!

expatinscotland · 01/07/2006 18:41

i went to 'Freedom Fest' for 4th of July one year and got a record 42 mosquito bites.

they LOVE me!

little bastards!

they spray the entire city of Houston down w/pesticides at night to kill off the Culex mosquito, which carries St. Louis encephalitis.

you have to live w/DEET on your bedside table there.

squarer · 01/07/2006 19:00

Tell me you mean the big mutha's of the other continents Bad Hair? There are 32 species of mosquito known to inhabit the UK - you must see at least one species' larvae in water somewhere in your neck of the woods and your house must be full of them if you leave a window open tonight????....
PS are you sure the 1982 thing wasn't a horsefly

EmmyLou · 02/07/2006 11:38

Once counted over 90 bites on one leg (after midnight swim in lake in Polish forest - what did I expect huh?) before the urge to scratch thwarted the urge to continue counting.

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