It’s no secret that mosquitoes can take a perfectly pleasant day outside and quickly turn it into an unpleasant fight for your sanity. Those pesky little critters just don’t give up, and can often induce a little nostalgia for winter, when you could go outside in peace. But beating the mosquitoes and getting to relax near your lake or pond in peace is not just some distant dream. Here are our best tips for getting rid of the little pests.
Install an Aeration System
One of the most important things that you can do is to get your water moving. Mosquitoes are attracted to stagnant water. It provides a perfect breeding ground and environment for them to lay their eggs. If you allow that environment to stay the way it is, the mosquitoes will be happy to stick around.
Adding an aeration system to your pond also helps get rid of algae, which is a food source for mosquitoes. Algae grows best in stagnant water, so circulating the water in your pond is an effective way to reduce the amount of algae in your pond. There are also water treatments that are effective.
Attract Bats and Bug-Eating Birds
Although some folks may feel a little squeamish about attracting bats on purpose, those little guys can do a real number on a mosquito population. A single brown bat can eat upwards of a thousand insects in an hour, so having a colony working for you can be a great way to take back your pond. Attract bats by providing bat houses for small colonies.
Although birds are not quite as effective as bats, they can help put a dent in the mosquito population as well. Swallows are an especially effective species of bird, and can eat around 60 mosquitos in an hour. Providing bird houses that are specifically tailored to the needs of the species that you are trying to attract is the best way to make sure that you end up with the birds that you want.
Stocking Fish
Certain types of fish are excellent for mosquito control, including bass, bluegill and catfish. They eat the larvae before they hatch, which is both a great way to reduce the mosquitoes and to feed your fish for free. There are also fish feeders such as the Bug Light Fish Feeder that attract the bugs, stun them and deposit them on the surface of the water, providing a tasty meal for your fish.
When choosing to stock your pond, make sure that you pick fish that your pond can support and also bear in mind that certain species do better when stocked in tandem with other species. You can check out our post on pond stocking, or give us a call for assistance in deciding the best plan for your pond.
Eliminate Other Sources of Stagnant Water
When it comes to mosquitos, your pond may not be the only issue. If you have old buckets, or other junk near your pond that collects water, that may be just as much of a problem. Any source of still water that mosquitoes can find (especially if it’s old and growing algae) seems like the perfect place to settle down and start a family. Take some time to walk the perimeter of your pond and make sure nothing is just sitting and needlessly collecting water.
Everyone can agree, mosquitoes are just about the worst, but they’re far from unbeatable. With a few of these tips in place, you can settle back down on that lawn chair and watch the rest of the sunset, with a little less to worry about.
