On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 06:37:44 CST, Nick Cramer
wrote:

I have decided that, rather than get Mosquito fish, I will drain the pond.
That algae rich water should make the plants in our backyard happy. I've
heard that Nile virus is on the upsurge this year, so anyplace mosquitos
might breed is a good place to take immediate action.


I worried about that at first, but there are mosquito borne diseases
here in Florida that I'm not nearly as concerned as I used to be. I
get bitten by mosquitoes nearly every day. Not so much in the winter,
but during the other seasons. Eastern Equine Encephalitis, despite
its name, doesn't get only horses. Some guy died after being bitten
by a mosquito at a football game. It's been around here for years and
years, and if it gets you, you croak -- or not. It's sort of like
swimming in a tank of sharks and then someone throws in a hammerhead.
Sure, the threat is increased, but there are plenty of other sharks in
the water, and besides, the chances of getting bitten by a shark are
pretty slim, the chances of dying from it almost nil, but there is
deadly hazard there just the same.

An alternative to draining the pond or fussing with fish might be to
use "mosquito dunks," (Bacillus thuringiensis) for effective long term
control. It is a bacteria specific to mosquito larvae, and affects
absolutely nothing else. It is a biological control that is safe and
100% effective in my experience.
--
Galen Hekhuis
Hell hath no fury like a bird in the hand