On 2014-08-15 09:01:35 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

In the 1970s before Singapore was totally modernised. I ate in an open air
restaurant set in a garden of fan palms illuminated by tiny paraffin lights. It
was magic. I want back a few years later and the garden had been
replaced by yet
another hotel.

When I were a lad, the sole illumination at night was either hurricane
or Tilley lamps - both using paraffin, of course.

That helped keep mosquitoes away - the paraffin, I mean.

No way - tropical mosquitoes aren't the wimpish things that we
get in the far north! We used netting and DMP.

Paraffin was used against white ants - table and chair legs stood
in tin cans with an inch of it in the bottom.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I was thinking mainly of the garden of a hotel in Corfu which had
(apparently) been sprayed with paraffin. It absolutely reeked and it
does seem a very dangerous method! This was back in the mid-70s.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 2014-08-15 10:21:38 +0000, Martin said:

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 09:53:18 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2014-08-14 22:15:11 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
Martin wrote:

In the 1970s before Singapore was totally modernised. I ate in an open air
restaurant set in a garden of fan palms illuminated by tiny paraffin lights. It
was magic. I want back a few years later and the garden had been
replaced by yet
another hotel.

When I were a lad, the sole illumination at night was either hurricane
or Tilley lamps - both using paraffin, of course.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

That helped keep mosquitoes away - the paraffin, I mean.

In Singapore it was saturating the area with DDT that did it. The same is true
in parts of The Netherlands.

5 or 6 years ago we stayed at a hotel in Turkey in Dalyan. We were
having pre-dinner drinks one evening when we saw the groundsman going
round, spraying the banks of the river where it bounded the hotel
garden. Ray recognised it as DDT and we moved hastily. The hotel owner
assured us it was 'nothing to worry about' No thanks!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

In the 1970s before Singapore was totally modernised. I ate in an open air
restaurant set in a garden of fan palms illuminated by tiny paraffin lights. It
was magic. I want back a few years later and the garden had been
replaced by yet
another hotel.

When I were a lad, the sole illumination at night was either hurricane
or Tilley lamps - both using paraffin, of course.

That helped keep mosquitoes away - the paraffin, I mean.

No way - tropical mosquitoes aren't the wimpish things that we
get in the far north! We used netting and DMP.

Paraffin was used against white ants - table and chair legs stood
in tin cans with an inch of it in the bottom.

I was thinking mainly of the garden of a hotel in Corfu which had
(apparently) been sprayed with paraffin. It absolutely reeked and it
does seem a very dangerous method! This was back in the mid-70s.

Ah, no, that's not what they had done. Mosquito larvae hang from
the surface of stagnant water, which is why draining the Fens
eliminated marsh ague a century or two back. The usual method
of preventing that is to put a small amount of oil in, and that
kills the larvae. Paraffin is cheap and not very volatile, so
is safe, but it does stink when it evaporates (e.g. on a hot day).

You can also use detergent, but that usually needs a LOT more and
taints the water worse.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 12:39:05 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme
wrote:


When I was a lad too, and water had to be hand pumped from a well.

When I was a lad I helped to dig the well!

LOL

It's true. My uncle had a farm with a stream running below ground. My
brother and I helped to dig an hole to the stream

I wonder what the chances are of finding people out of newsgroup land
who have dug a well.
Like you I helped Dad dig one in the 1960's when modern appliances
like washing machines and an new indoor bathroom encouraged cleaner
living and threatened to overwhelm the output of our existing Well in
dry periods. It was a long laborious process chipping through
carboniferous sandstone with an Iron bar and shoveling out the loose
rock.Not a deep well at about 4 yards deep and 1 and a half yards
diameter but big enough,the location was in a small disused quarry so
that gave a few yards start into the water table.
Still in use though about 15 years ago the water got tested in
connection with some grant work and a filter system was required as it
contained too much manganese and Iron though it never seemed to do us
any harm though occasionally you got rusty bath water.
Cycling home from school I popped into Octogenarian lady on route who
still had a hand pump on her well supply and pumped her tank full each
day as it was a task she was no longer strong enough to do, in Winter
also banked her Rayburn and placed some fuel to top it up handy.

G.Harman

On 15/08/2014 19:27, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Sacha wrote:

In the 1970s before Singapore was totally modernised. I ate in an open air
restaurant set in a garden of fan palms illuminated by tiny paraffin lights. It
was magic. I want back a few years later and the garden had been
replaced by yet
another hotel.

When I were a lad, the sole illumination at night was either hurricane
or Tilley lamps - both using paraffin, of course.

That helped keep mosquitoes away - the paraffin, I mean.

No way - tropical mosquitoes aren't the wimpish things that we
get in the far north! We used netting and DMP.

Paraffin was used against white ants - table and chair legs stood
in tin cans with an inch of it in the bottom.

I was thinking mainly of the garden of a hotel in Corfu which had
(apparently) been sprayed with paraffin. It absolutely reeked and it
does seem a very dangerous method! This was back in the mid-70s.

Ah, no, that's not what they had done. Mosquito larvae hang from
the surface of stagnant water, which is why draining the Fens
eliminated marsh ague a century or two back. The usual method
of preventing that is to put a small amount of oil in, and that
kills the larvae. Paraffin is cheap and not very volatile, so
is safe, but it does stink when it evaporates (e.g. on a hot day).

You can also use detergent, but that usually needs a LOT more and
taints the water worse.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I've found that if you give a quick spray with an aerosol fly spray over
the surface it kills off the mosquito larvae and doesn't leave any
deposit on the water surface.

On 2014-08-15 18:27:19 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

In the 1970s before Singapore was totally modernised. I ate in an open air
restaurant set in a garden of fan palms illuminated by tiny paraffin lights. It
was magic. I want back a few years later and the garden had been
replaced by yet
another hotel.

When I were a lad, the sole illumination at night was either hurricane
or Tilley lamps - both using paraffin, of course.

That helped keep mosquitoes away - the paraffin, I mean.

No way - tropical mosquitoes aren't the wimpish things that we
get in the far north! We used netting and DMP.

Paraffin was used against white ants - table and chair legs stood
in tin cans with an inch of it in the bottom.

I was thinking mainly of the garden of a hotel in Corfu which had
(apparently) been sprayed with paraffin. It absolutely reeked and it
does seem a very dangerous method! This was back in the mid-70s.

Ah, no, that's not what they had done. Mosquito larvae hang from
the surface of stagnant water, which is why draining the Fens
eliminated marsh ague a century or two back. The usual method
of preventing that is to put a small amount of oil in, and that
kills the larvae. Paraffin is cheap and not very volatile, so
is safe, but it does stink when it evaporates (e.g. on a hot day).

You can also use detergent, but that usually needs a LOT more and
taints the water worse.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

That explains the reek of it in hot Corfu in July or August!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 2014-08-15 19:31:45 +0000, David Hill said:

On 15/08/2014 19:27, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Sacha wrote:
snip

I was thinking mainly of the garden of a hotel in Corfu which had
(apparently) been sprayed with paraffin. It absolutely reeked and it
does seem a very dangerous method! This was back in the mid-70s.

Ah, no, that's not what they had done. Mosquito larvae hang from
the surface of stagnant water, which is why draining the Fens
eliminated marsh ague a century or two back. The usual method
of preventing that is to put a small amount of oil in, and that
kills the larvae. Paraffin is cheap and not very volatile, so
is safe, but it does stink when it evaporates (e.g. on a hot day).

You can also use detergent, but that usually needs a LOT more and
taints the water worse.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I've found that if you give a quick spray with an aerosol fly spray
over the surface it kills off the mosquito larvae and doesn't leave any
deposit on the water surface.

Good tip!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 2014-08-15 21:46:12 +0000, Martin said:

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 17:07:30 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2014-08-15 10:21:38 +0000, Martin said:

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 09:53:18 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2014-08-14 22:15:11 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
Martin wrote:

In the 1970s before Singapore was totally modernised. I ate in an open air
restaurant set in a garden of fan palms illuminated by tiny paraffin lights. It
was magic. I want back a few years later and the garden had been
replaced by yet
another hotel.

When I were a lad, the sole illumination at night was either hurricane
or Tilley lamps - both using paraffin, of course.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

That helped keep mosquitoes away - the paraffin, I mean.

In Singapore it was saturating the area with DDT that did it. The same is true
in parts of The Netherlands.

5 or 6 years ago we stayed at a hotel in Turkey in Dalyan. We were
having pre-dinner drinks one evening when we saw the groundsman going
round, spraying the banks of the river where it bounded the hotel
garden. Ray recognised it as DDT and we moved hastily. The hotel owner
assured us it was 'nothing to worry about' No thanks!

They do the same in French Guiana at dawn.

We were horrified! I have a painting by an artist called Robin
Armstrong. It's a wonderful barn owl and near his perch is an empty can
of DDT and a fragment of newspaper dated 29 October 1947. The newspaper
is called the Evening Herald and it announces a Royal Visit.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 16/08/2014 07:48, Martin wrote:
On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:54:08 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2014-08-15 19:31:45 +0000, David Hill said:

On 15/08/2014 19:27, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Sacha wrote:
snip

I was thinking mainly of the garden of a hotel in Corfu which had
(apparently) been sprayed with paraffin. It absolutely reeked and it
does seem a very dangerous method! This was back in the mid-70s.

Ah, no, that's not what they had done. Mosquito larvae hang from
the surface of stagnant water, which is why draining the Fens
eliminated marsh ague a century or two back. The usual method
of preventing that is to put a small amount of oil in, and that
kills the larvae. Paraffin is cheap and not very volatile, so
is safe, but it does stink when it evaporates (e.g. on a hot day).

You can also use detergent, but that usually needs a LOT more and
taints the water worse.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I've found that if you give a quick spray with an aerosol fly spray
over the surface it kills off the mosquito larvae and doesn't leave any
deposit on the water surface.

Good tip!

Olive oil works too.

And doesn't kill the fish.

This is printed on every fly spray can I've ever seen:

"Very toxic to aquatic organisms. May cause long-term adverse effects
in the aquatic environment. "
--
Phil Cook

I don't recall seeing anybody reminding you that this treatment must be
renewed after the next shower of rain if the butt or container was nearly
full and some of the water has spilled over the side or down the overflow.
Also if you have butts linked together low down, as we have in the case of
the five between the garage and the shed, then each butt will have to be
treated if they are linked low down and they find their level from low down.

Mike

..................................................
For those ex Royal Navy.
http://angelradioisleofwight.moonfru...ive/4574468641
7.30 – 8.00 pm Wednesday 20th August 2014
‘From the Crowe’s Nest’




"Martin" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:54:08 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

On 2014-08-15 19:31:45 +0000, David Hill said:

On 15/08/2014 19:27, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Sacha wrote:
snip

I was thinking mainly of the garden of a hotel in Corfu which had
(apparently) been sprayed with paraffin. It absolutely reeked and it
does seem a very dangerous method! This was back in the mid-70s.

Ah, no, that's not what they had done. Mosquito larvae hang from
the surface of stagnant water, which is why draining the Fens
eliminated marsh ague a century or two back. The usual method
of preventing that is to put a small amount of oil in, and that
kills the larvae. Paraffin is cheap and not very volatile, so
is safe, but it does stink when it evaporates (e.g. on a hot day).

You can also use detergent, but that usually needs a LOT more and
taints the water worse.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I've found that if you give a quick spray with an aerosol fly spray
over the surface it kills off the mosquito larvae and doesn't leave any
deposit on the water surface.

Good tip!

Olive oil works too.
--

Martin in Zuid Holland

On 16/08/2014 08:05, Phil Cook wrote:
Olive oil works too.

And doesn't kill the fish.

Just makes them easier to cook

On 16/08/2014 08:05, Phil Cook wrote:
This is printed on every fly spray can I've ever seen:

"Very toxic to aquatic organisms. May cause long-term adverse effects in
the aquatic environment. "

If you have a load of mosquito larvae in your fish pool / pond then your
fish are not doing their job.
I was thinking in terms of water buts etc where standing water attracts
mosquitoes.

On Sat, 16 Aug 2014 09:59:29 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

On 16/08/2014 08:05, Phil Cook wrote:
This is printed on every fly spray can I've ever seen:

"Very toxic to aquatic organisms. May cause long-term adverse effects in
the aquatic environment. "

If you have a load of mosquito larvae in your fish pool / pond then your
fish are not doing their job.

I intentionally let the mosquito breed in my pond so I can use the
larvae to feed my fish indoors.

Steve

--
Neural Network Software http://www.npsnn.com
EasyNN-plus More than just a neural network http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN Prediction software http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN Just a neural network http://www.justnn.com

In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says...

On 16/08/2014 08:05, Phil Cook wrote:
This is printed on every fly spray can I've ever seen:

"Very toxic to aquatic organisms. May cause long-term adverse effects in
the aquatic environment. "

If you have a load of mosquito larvae in your fish pool / pond then your
fish are not doing their job.

Many gardeners maintain a fish-free pond to encourage other wildlife,
such as frogs newts and dragonflies. Those "wet" ecosystems are highly
susceptible to flyspray toxins as chemical manufacturers and Phil point
out.

Janet.

In article ,
Martin wrote:
On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:54:08 +0100, Sacha wrote:
On 2014-08-15 19:31:45 +0000, David Hill said:

Ah, no, that's not what they had done. Mosquito larvae hang from
the surface of stagnant water, which is why draining the Fens
eliminated marsh ague a century or two back. The usual method
of preventing that is to put a small amount of oil in, and that
kills the larvae. Paraffin is cheap and not very volatile, so
is safe, but it does stink when it evaporates (e.g. on a hot day).

You can also use detergent, but that usually needs a LOT more and
taints the water worse.

I've found that if you give a quick spray with an aerosol fly spray
over the surface it kills off the mosquito larvae and doesn't leave any
deposit on the water surface.

Well, yes and no. It depends on what is in the spray how much
residue it leaves and whether it is more toxic than a larger
amount of paraffin. Also, paraffin has a preventative effect
and is feasible for large areas, like sizeable ponds.

Olive oil works too.

Any oil does. However, using olive oil for large areas is very
expensive. Paraffin is cheap, and will eventually biodegrade.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.