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#1
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Decisions, decisions
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. -- Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! ! ~Semper Fi~ |
#2
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Decisions, decisions
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 |
#3
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Decisions, decisions
I'm thinking that ponders actually help the
mosquito problem rather than contribute to it. A pond with fish, or a pond treated with Mosquito Dunks, is like a trap. Mosquitoes laying eggs are in danger of being eaten by the fish or the dragon and damselflies that the pond attracts (and the toads and the frogs, too) and their larvae will most certainly be eaten or in a fishless pond they will be taken out by the Mosquito Dunks bacteria. So by keeping ponds we are luring mosquitoes to their doom. Without that pond there the mosquitoes will lay their eggs in abandoned bits of water laying around or in bigger waterways where the amount of water to fish is much larger and they have a chance to escape. Our garden ponds are way overstocked compared to Mother Nature's ponds and waterways so they much better at reducing the mosquito population. k :-) |
#4
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Decisions, decisions
On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 10:03:58 CST, Galen Hekhuis
wrote: 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. I agree, if not just because I seem to have less problems now with mosquitoes than before the ponds went in. Lots of dragon flies. (Do damsel flies eat mosquitoes? Hundreds of those around.) We do have mosquito control, but I'm not sure they're doing anything more than what they've always done. So far only bitten once this season, but I'm fairly certain that didn't happen in my yard. ~ jan ------------ Zone 7a, SE Washington State Ponds: www.jjspond.us |
#5
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Decisions, decisions
Yup, damselflies eat mosquitoes, bless their little hearts. This is a good page about them. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/c...amselflies.htm Nobody here has been bitten by a mosquito all year. We have big dragonflies around, tons of damselflies, froggies and, of course, the fish. All pots without any critters in them are treated with mosquito bits. k :-) |
#6
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Decisions, decisions
Nick, sorry to hear you had to give up the pond. Hope you continue to cyber pond with RPM. ~ jan ------------ Zone 7a, SE Washington State Ponds: www.jjspond.us |
#7
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Decisions, decisions
Yup, damselflies eat mosquitoes, bless their
little hearts. This is a good page about them. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/c...amselflies.htm k :-) k.... for keeper of the ponding websites. ;-) ~ jan ------------ Zone 7a, SE Washington State Ponds: www.jjspond.us |
#8
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Decisions, decisions
You'll always be PORG to us, Nick!
k :-) |
#9
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Decisions, decisions
On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 14:04:47 CST, ~ jan wrote:
On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 10:03:58 CST, Galen Hekhuis wrote: 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. I agree, if not just because I seem to have less problems now with mosquitoes than before the ponds went in. Lots of dragon flies. (Do damsel flies eat mosquitoes? Hundreds of those around.) We do have mosquito control, but I'm not sure they're doing anything more than what they've always done. So far only bitten once this season, but I'm fairly certain that didn't happen in my yard. ~ jan ------------ Zone 7a, SE Washington State Ponds: www.jjspond.us Yes, damselflies eat mosquitoes. Dragonflies and damselflies eat mosquitoes. Every stage of life (except the eggs) of those critters eat mosquitoes. They will eat just about anything that flies. They follow my tractor around when I'm mowing because they know I startle lots of bugs into flight. Dragonflies are incredible little machines. They can fly in any direction you can imagine and can change directions almost instantly. I have oodles of them around and get to watch them often. I've seen them hover, fly backwards, change heading in an instant, they can even take off from the ground in reverse. Even with damaged wings late in the season they still can perform incredible aerobatics. As anyone who has carelessly handled one can attest, they can inflict quite a healthy bite, but they do not sting. Damselflies are just as vicious as dragonflies, but are smaller, fold their wings, and have a cute name. -- Galen Hekhuis I don't recall... |
#10
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Decisions, decisions
On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 15:26:01 CST, Galen Hekhuis
wrote: Dragonflies and damselflies eat mosquitoes. They follow my tractor around when I'm mowing because they know I startle lots of bugs into flight. That's got to be a cool sight, around here it is seagulls following the tractors. ;-) ~ jan ------------ Zone 7a, SE Washington State Ponds: www.jjspond.us |
#11
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Decisions, decisions
Dragonflies are incredible little machines.
They can fly in any direction you can imagine and can change directions almost instantly. I have oodles of them around and get to watch them often. I've seen them hover, fly backwards, change heading in an instant, they can even take off from the ground in reverse. Even with damaged wings late in the season they still can perform incredible aerobatics. I love dragonflies! I live in central Florida and we have a variety that has reddish wings. A few times a year I've noticed large number of them flying around everywhere performing their acrobatics with their wings sparkling in the full sun. It's really impressive. I don't see nearly as many damselflies but that's partially their fault since they aren't nearly as bold. |
#12
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Decisions, decisions
In article ,
Galen Hekhuis wrote: On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 14:04:47 CST, ~ jan wrote: On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 10:03:58 CST, Galen Hekhuis wrote: 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. I agree, if not just because I seem to have less problems now with mosquitoes than before the ponds went in. Lots of dragon flies. (Do damsel flies eat mosquitoes? Hundreds of those around.) We do have mosquito control, but I'm not sure they're doing anything more than what they've always done. So far only bitten once this season, but I'm fairly certain that didn't happen in my yard. ~ jan ------------ Zone 7a, SE Washington State Ponds: www.jjspond.us Yes, damselflies eat mosquitoes. Dragonflies and damselflies eat mosquitoes. Every stage of life (except the eggs) of those critters eat mosquitoes. They will eat just about anything that flies. They follow my tractor around when I'm mowing because they know I startle lots of bugs into flight. Dragonflies are incredible little machines. They can fly in any direction you can imagine and can change directions almost instantly. I have oodles of them around and get to watch them often. I've seen them hover, fly backwards, change heading in an instant, they can even take off from the ground in reverse. Even with damaged wings late in the season they still can perform incredible aerobatics. As anyone who has carelessly handled one can attest, they can inflict quite a healthy bite, but they do not sting. Damselflies are just as vicious as dragonflies, but are smaller, fold their wings, and have a cute name. -- Galen Hekhuis I don't recall... Is that what some people refer to as "stick bugs"? (Very small dragonflies with wings not as pronounced) -- To reply by email, remove the word "space" |
#13
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Decisions, decisions
Kurt wrote:
Is that what some people refer to as "stick bugs"? (Very small dragonflies with wings not as pronounced) iirc, the significant difference between dragonflies & damselflies is just that one folds its wings and the other doesn't. I haven't heard the term "stick bug", but that doesn't mean much - it might just refer to one specific species. -- derek - Unless otherwise noted, I speak for myself, not rec.ponds.moderated moderators. |
#14
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Decisions, decisions
"Kurt" wrote in message ... Is that what some people refer to as "stick bugs"? (Very small dragonflies with wings not as pronounced) ======================== Not wherever I've lived. Stick bugs are quite different. On Long Island dragon flies were called darning needles and dining needles. -- RM.... Frugal ponding since 1995. rec.ponder since late 1996. My Pond & Aquarium Pages: http://tinyurl.com/9do58 Zone 6. Middle TN USA ~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö |
#15
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Decisions, decisions
practically speaking. Marilyn the Pond Lady lives nearly in the swamp
and she has almost no mosquitoes with all her ponds. she got ticks of course, no guinea hens.. wowo... maybe I need to get her some of those. Ingrid On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 14:04:47 CST, ~ jan wrote: On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 10:03:58 CST, Galen Hekhuis wrote: 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. I agree, if not just because I seem to have less problems now with mosquitoes than before the ponds went in. Lots of dragon flies. (Do damsel flies eat mosquitoes? Hundreds of those around.) We do have mosquito control, but I'm not sure they're doing anything more than what they've always done. So far only bitten once this season, but I'm fairly certain that didn't happen in my yard. ~ jan ------------ Zone 7a, SE Washington State Ponds: www.jjspond.us |
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