I've recently made a small pond from half an old whisky barrel. One
small water lily, couple of good clumps of oxygenating weed and an iris.
Once the water cleared I tried introducing a couple of fish, but they
clearly weren't happy (permanently drunk and hungover, possibly?) and
have been successfully rehomed in a friend's pond.
However, although the fish weren't happy, the mozzie larvae obviously
are - there are thousands of them, and I can see that when they fledge
into grown-up mozzies I'm going to have a house full of the little
blighters.
Any suggestions how I can get rid of them safely - both dog and cat are
partial to a drink from the barrel?

Jill

"Jill Bell" wrote in message
...
I've recently made a small pond from half an old whisky barrel. One small
water lily, couple of good clumps of oxygenating weed and an iris. Once
the water cleared I tried introducing a couple of fish, but they clearly
weren't happy (permanently drunk and hungover, possibly?) and have been
successfully rehomed in a friend's pond.
However, although the fish weren't happy, the mozzie larvae obviously
are - there are thousands of them, and I can see that when they fledge
into grown-up mozzies I'm going to have a house full of the little
blighters.
Any suggestions how I can get rid of them safely - both dog and cat are
partial to a drink from the barrel?

Jill

Borrow one or two of the fish back. They'll clear it in no time.

Steve

In message , Jill Bell
wrote
However, although the fish weren't happy, the mozzie larvae obviously
are - there are thousands of them, and I can see that when they fledge
into grown-up mozzies I'm going to have a house full of the little
blighters.
Any suggestions how I can get rid of them safely - both dog and cat are
partial to a drink from the barrel?

Jill


Something to break the surface tension of the water so the larvae cannot
breath. Perhaps a _couple_ of drops of washing up liquid or a _minute_
amount of WD40.
--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

In message , Alan
wrote
In message , Jill Bell
wrote
However, although the fish weren't happy, the mozzie larvae obviously
are - there are thousands of them, and I can see that when they fledge
into grown-up mozzies I'm going to have a house full of the little
blighters.
Any suggestions how I can get rid of them safely - both dog and cat
are partial to a drink from the barrel?

Jill


Something to break the surface tension of the water so the larvae
cannot breath. Perhaps a _couple_ of drops of washing up liquid or a
_minute_ amount of WD40.


http://www.ralphmag.org/panama.html

--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 05/06/2010 10:37, Alan wrote:
In message , Jill Bell
wrote
However, although the fish weren't happy, the mozzie larvae obviously
are - there are thousands of them, and I can see that when they fledge
into grown-up mozzies I'm going to have a house full of the little
blighters.
Any suggestions how I can get rid of them safely - both dog and cat
are partial to a drink from the barrel?

Jill


Something to break the surface tension of the water so the larvae cannot
breath. Perhaps a _couple_ of drops of washing up liquid or a _minute_
amount of WD40.

Thanks Alan - I've gone for the washing up liquid as the lesser of the
two evils - the dog's been blowing bubbles; will update you on the
mozzie larvae in a day or two.

Will they cause a problem for the dog or cat?

Frogs and newts would see to the mozzie larvae, but if the water conditions aren't yet right for the fish they might not be OK for frogs and newts. If on the other hand it's just the particular fish that you tried which aren't happy, you could always try something like sticklebacks.

Would vegetable oil have the same effect as WD40?

We tried this a couple of years ago with half oak ex whisky barrels. Apart from the car reeking of whisky for a week after bringing them home, we never got any fish to survive for very long. Eventually we bought black plastic tubs that fit the barrel perfectly. Not a long lived project, always cleaning the bloody things out, the dogs always drinking the water and eating my dwarf bullrushes. They look great now though...........one has Runner Beans in it and the other Pelargoniums.

Martin

"kay" wrote in message
...

'Jill Bell[_2_ Wrote:
;889884']I've recently made a small pond from half an old whisky barrel.
One
small water lily, couple of good clumps of oxygenating weed and an iris.

Once the water cleared I tried introducing a couple of fish, but they
clearly weren't happy (permanently drunk and hungover, possibly?) and
have been successfully rehomed in a friend's pond.
However, although the fish weren't happy, the mozzie larvae obviously
are - there are thousands of them, and I can see that when they fledge
into grown-up mozzies I'm going to have a house full of the little
blighters.
Any suggestions how I can get rid of them safely - both dog and cat are

partial to a drink from the barrel?



Will they cause a problem for the dog or cat?

Frogs and newts would see to the mozzie larvae, but if the water
conditions aren't yet right for the fish they might not be OK for frogs
and newts. If on the other hand it's just the particular fish that you
tried which aren't happy, you could always try something like
sticklebacks.

I would agree with finding yourself some sticklebacks - they will polish
mozzie larva off, quick time. When they've done that, you can put them back
where you got them from.
When I was a child I had a pet female stickleback for a while and I fed her
on mozzie larva all the time - until I put her back into her pond
eventually.
Tina

Christina Websell wrote:
"kay" wrote in message
...

'Jill Bell[_2_ Wrote:
;889884']I've recently made a small pond from half an old whisky
barrel. One
small water lily, couple of good clumps of oxygenating weed and an
iris. Once the water cleared I tried introducing a couple of fish,
but
they clearly weren't happy (permanently drunk and hungover,
possibly?) and have been successfully rehomed in a friend's pond.
However, although the fish weren't happy, the mozzie larvae
obviously are - there are thousands of them, and I can see that
when they fledge into grown-up mozzies I'm going to have a house
full of the little blighters.
Any suggestions how I can get rid of them safely - both dog and cat
are partial to a drink from the barrel?



Will they cause a problem for the dog or cat?

Frogs and newts would see to the mozzie larvae, but if the water
conditions aren't yet right for the fish they might not be OK for
frogs and newts. If on the other hand it's just the particular fish
that you tried which aren't happy, you could always try something
like sticklebacks.

I would agree with finding yourself some sticklebacks - they will
polish mozzie larva off, quick time. When they've done that, you can
put them back where you got them from.
When I was a child I had a pet female stickleback for a while and I
fed her on mozzie larva all the time - until I put her back into her
pond eventually.
Tina

I have no knowledge of the subject, but it occurs to me that a tub would
tend to get too warm for fish in warm weather, and perhaps too cold in
the very worst winters. I may add that we had a water-butt split by
freezing in one particularly bad British winter.

--
Mike.

On 05/06/2010 21:24, M Froggatt wrote:
We tried this a couple of years ago with half oak ex whisky barrels.
Apart from the car reeking of whisky for a week after bringing them
home, we never got any fish to survive for very long. Eventually we
bought black plastic tubs that fit the barrel perfectly. Not a long
lived project, always cleaning the bloody things out, the dogs always
drinking the water and eating my dwarf bullrushes. They look great now
though...........one has Runner Beans in it and the other Pelargoniums.

Martin

I had one at the previous house and suceeded in keep fish in it for
several years, though keeping the water weed under control was an
ongoing project. I'll give it more time to establish and try again next
season.

Meanwhile - have tried the washing up liquid cure over the weekend and
the mozzie larva just laughed and did somersaults, maybe I should have
used more Fairy!! Will hunt through the shed and see if i've got any
WD40 lurking there.

Jill

On 07/06/10 12:40, Jill Bell wrote:
On 05/06/2010 21:24, M Froggatt wrote:
We tried this a couple of years ago with half oak ex whisky barrels.
Apart from the car reeking of whisky for a week after bringing them
home, we never got any fish to survive for very long. Eventually we
bought black plastic tubs that fit the barrel perfectly. Not a long
lived project, always cleaning the bloody things out, the dogs always
drinking the water and eating my dwarf bullrushes. They look great now
though...........one has Runner Beans in it and the other Pelargoniums.

Martin

I had one at the previous house and suceeded in keep fish in it for
several years, though keeping the water weed under control was an
ongoing project. I'll give it more time to establish and try again next
season.

Meanwhile - have tried the washing up liquid cure over the weekend and
the mozzie larva just laughed and did somersaults, maybe I should have
used more Fairy!! Will hunt through the shed and see if i've got any
WD40 lurking there.

A thin film of olive oil kills mozzzie larva.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote:
"kay" wrote in message
...

'Jill Bell[_2_ Wrote:
;889884']I've recently made a small pond from half an old whisky
barrel. One
small water lily, couple of good clumps of oxygenating weed and an
iris. Once the water cleared I tried introducing a couple of fish, but
they clearly weren't happy (permanently drunk and hungover,
possibly?) and have been successfully rehomed in a friend's pond.
However, although the fish weren't happy, the mozzie larvae
obviously are - there are thousands of them, and I can see that
when they fledge into grown-up mozzies I'm going to have a house
full of the little blighters.
Any suggestions how I can get rid of them safely - both dog and cat
are partial to a drink from the barrel?



Will they cause a problem for the dog or cat?

Frogs and newts would see to the mozzie larvae, but if the water
conditions aren't yet right for the fish they might not be OK for frogs
and newts. If on the other hand it's just the particular fish
that you tried which aren't happy, you could always try something
like sticklebacks.

I would agree with finding yourself some sticklebacks - they will
polish mozzie larva off, quick time. When they've done that, you can
put them back where you got them from.
When I was a child I had a pet female stickleback for a while and I
fed her on mozzie larva all the time - until I put her back into her
pond eventually.
Tina

I have no knowledge of the subject, but it occurs to me that a tub would
tend to get too warm for fish in warm weather, and perhaps too cold in the
very worst winters. I may add that we had a water-butt split by freezing
in one particularly bad British winter.

--
please note that I said "I put her back in the pond" after she'd eaten all
the mozzie larvae - and very good at eating them she was, too ;-)

T