| Author | Content |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
February 22, 2008
3:31 PM Post #4573858
| Ok i am going to get two rain barrels .They have a attached gutter spouts .I will put a funnel or use an old Elizabethian collar. To help collect the rain.I don't have gutters . :(
I was wondering
I do have a steam in our property . I was thinking i can get the water from there also. So i was wondering if that was feasible ?
Would i have to add little fish to eat algea and mosquitos larve ? or ? any ideas would help
THe steam usually drys up in summer and stays mucky
thanks for any help
sue |
msrobin
Caneyville, KY
(Zone 6b)
February 22, 2008
6:05 PM Post #4574338
| I believe it's light that causes the water to turn green, so if the barrel is covered, it shouldn't grow algae. But it won't be a problem come summer, because you'll be using the water to water plants, right? |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
February 22, 2008
6:24 PM Post #4574409
| Yep
i did get the terra cotta color
instead of black. I thought it would heat up the water to much to water plants with . if that isn't a factor than i can always paint them . :)
They will be behind the Gh
Hmm yeah your right ,i forgot about that algea needs sun to grow.
Yep plants only , not for humans .
i did talk to the lady at the barrel site about the stream water and she said " she didn't see why not " cool i got three yepeeee
thanks msrobin
apparently there is a rain barrel shortage this yr . They are going like hot cakes. |
msrobin
Caneyville, KY
(Zone 6b)
February 22, 2008
6:56 PM Post #4574534
| Sure glad to hear about the shortage of rain barrels. Must mean more people are using them! Yippee!
I think the terra cotta color will look nicer.
How are going to get the spring water to your barrels? |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
February 22, 2008
7:00 PM Post #4574557
| buckets and two 4 yr olds lolol |
msrobin
Caneyville, KY
(Zone 6b)
February 22, 2008
8:14 PM Post #4574848
| Sounds like fun! Oughtta keep them busy for a little while. |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
February 22, 2008
8:27 PM Post #4574897
| I need the excersise
oh by the way LOL i know you were just kidding :) lol on the link i put up on the rain barrels :)
i just thought i would cover my assets :)
sue |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 22, 2008
11:45 PM Post #4575757
| I cover mine with a fiberglass screen to keep pets and trash out. It also keeps most of the algae growth down too. They do sit in full sun. Good luck with yours. |
doccat5
Fredericksburg, VA
(Zone 7b)
February 23, 2008
5:47 AM Post #4576432
| There are pellet thingies (how professional is that?) you can throw in the barrel to eliminate mosquitoes. Something that can be a problem with rainbarrels. It's been discussed in these threads but I'm not able to find it right now. |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 23, 2008
7:47 AM Post #4576493
| Mosquito Dunks. You can find them in most garden centers, TSC etc. I prefer the screening to filter the runoff trash out too. Helps prevent sludge in the bottom of the barrel and I hadn't missed the the algae thing till I read this thread. That can be a pain in the south. |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
February 23, 2008
10:55 AM Post #4576971
| good to know thanks
i have seen some .
doccat i like your high tech talk lol same as my high techie talk lol
I can hunt down them threads and look for them
still snowed in uhg
thanks
|
Hineni
Appalachian Mtns, SW, VA
(Zone 6b)
February 23, 2008
12:59 PM Post #4577570
| Are mosquito dunks okay to use environmentally? I've never looked at what they actually are - I rarely get to go to HD or Lowes. Someone in the know clue me in please :) |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 23, 2008
1:38 PM Post #4577720
| Yes, they are supposed to be ~ the name evades me at the moment. Bti I believe. But are not supposed to hurt if a pet should take a sip... they are even used is some water features. Will try to do research later.
This message was edited Feb 23, 2008 9:37 PM |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
February 23, 2008
7:47 PM Post #4579119
| anyone know how to make rain chains :)
i saw some of them and they look cool but wow the price i thought i would croak.
i was thinking of putting them up under the rainbarrels . with a stick ,the ones with a hook like a shepherd staff ? there goes that high tech talk again lol
|
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 23, 2008
10:40 PM Post #4579843
| On dunks if interested... but after reading the last note, one would wonder about pets and livestock
| Quoted: |
* Easy-to-use biological mosquito control for ponds and water gardens
* Controls mosquitoes, potential vectors of West Nile Virus, for 30 days
* EPA-registered mosquito control in all 50 states
Biological mosquito control prevents your water garden from becoming a mosquito breeding ground. Used by professionals for more than a decade to effectively kill mosquito larvae before they mature into biting adult pests. Slowly released Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), a biological mosquito larvicide, works for 30 days or more. Works fast on mosquito populations (within 24 hours) to treat up to 100 square feet of surface water, regardless of depth. Dunks can be easily broken up to treat small areas. Unused Dunks retain their potency indefinitely, so you can store them without waste.
Recommended usage: Place one Mosquito Dunk in pond for every 100 square feet of water surface, every 30 days.
Mosquito Dunks
Outdoor Use Around the Household
Use one (1) Mosquito Dunk for up to 100 square feet of water surface, regardless of depth. Use whole or broken into portions and applied to containerized standing water near the home.
To prevent Mosquito Dunks from being washed away, the Dunks can be anchored using a string tied through the center hole or they can be staked in place.
Surface Area of Standing Water Quantity
1 to 5 square feet 1/4 Mosquito Dunk
5 to 25 square feet 1/2 Mosquito Dunk
25 to 100 square feet 1 Mosquito Dunk
>100 square feet 1 Mosquito Dunk per 100 square feet
NOTE: Not for use around treated, finished drinking water reservoirs, or drinking water receptacles intended for human consumption. |
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
February 23, 2008
11:59 PM Post #4580119
| Hey good to know Podster thanks for that
yes i think i would question on the last note part
thanks for doing that post
im going to see if MOther Earth news magazine has anything too . let you know what i come up iwth
:) |
tucsonjill
Tucson, AZ
(Zone 9a)
February 24, 2008
1:38 AM Post #4580561
| Just found this thread, so sorry I"m a little late checking in...
On the dunks, everything I've read says they're supposed to be safe for use around critters... I do use them and I will say they're very effective! The effective ingredient is the Bacillus thurigensis, or Bt, that I believe kills the larvae. It's the same plan as using it for hornworms on tomatoes, just a different strain of Bt that's more effective on mosquitoes.
Thanks, all, for reminding me too about the algae. I've got 4 barrels filled with runoff from my roof this winter that are getting cruddy--I forgot to cover them! In the summer the water isn't there long enough to get mucked up, but I'm not going through it as fast. Oh, well, I don't think the plants will mind, it'll just smell a little funky for a bit! :) |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
February 24, 2008
10:46 AM Post #4581366
| good to know Jill
thanks |
doccat5
Fredericksburg, VA
(Zone 7b)
February 24, 2008
11:14 AM Post #4581496
| Great information, podster, thanks for sharing! |
