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We have a large, formal lily pond about 20 feet from our back door and live within 10 miles of the Texas Gulf Coast. Mosquitos are a year-round problem that gets extreme after rainy episodes and hurricanes. Since installing the pond our mosquito count has DECREASED substantially. Fact is, our pond attracts frogs and birds. Both help us in controlling adult mosquitos that are also attracted to the pond. (It does take a season to become accustomed to the springtime chatter of frogs and the frequent surprises as you cross paths with numerous little hopping mosquito vacuums) To control larvae, we use mosquito dunks because our pond must remain fish free to protect the water lilies from nibbling fish. We are careful to eliminate all other containers of standing water around our property. One major change is in the way we select pots for plants. Small pots with water catchers are exclusively used inside where mosquitos do not have easy access. To eliminate the need for water reservoirs that can harbor mosquitos outside, we simply use larger pots that don't need reservoirs.
I try to avoid using chemical sprays as much as possible because they do affect beneficial insects including bees which are a vital part of any garden. We stopped using zappers after realizing that mosquitos account for only 4 to 10 percent of the insects you'll find in the dead cup. My observation is the pond is actually a better trap and far more naturally selective in its ability to control pests. Besides, frogs actually sing and zappers just zap in the middle of the night. The choice is your preference.
We prefer to use picaridin products over deet as a topical repellant. To get double duty from our repellant, we step immediately outside an exit so any of the chemical that drifts will help mask that spot as a prime entry point to our home. When we do have to use a chemical fogger in the yard, I concentrate on areas that are known hiding places such as our banana grove along the perimeter and quiet corners or under large shrubs. The best and safest time to fog seems to be first light when the air is still. Generally, bees begin their work shortly after sunrise. By then, any mist I have sprayed has done it's work on the far side of the yard and has settled. I am careful not to spray around blooming plants as a courtesy to bees who may later take the poison to the hive along with pollen. We do not fog around our vegetable garden or when drift may carry it there.
I have tried garlic compounds sprayed around the yard but am unable to say with any certainty that they work as well as advertised propaganda. Suffice to say humans may be easier to convince than mosquitos. Since mosquitos respond to specific olfactory stimuli including carbon dioxide and octenol from our breath as well as lactic acid from our skin, I can find no scientific basis proving that substances such as garlic are effective for anything more than temporary confusion.
There are several plants that are touted as having mosquito repellant properties. Because there is little scientific support for most of the claims, we choose plants that can be purchased or sown at a reasonable cost and that we feel are compatible with the beauty and enjoyment of our gardening. A plant that grows to a ghastly size, is itchy or emits a stench I can't enjoy has no place in my garden. Marigolds are among our favorites to plant among vegetables. I can't tell you if they actually discourage "bad" bugs but I think if I were a bug, I'd prefer to go elsewhere. So much for science.
Citronella grass is the source for citronella oil but planting the grass does not have the same effect on mosquitos as burning it. Many people can't stand the smell and would prefer the mosquitos. Rosemary is also touted as a repellant but although the plant does not attract mosquitos, it likely will not keep them off you unless you rub yourself down with the oil. While rosemary is generally thought to have many beneficial uses, it can result in dermatitis on those who are mildly allergic.
Mosquito plants are sold commercially as a repellant for a high price but most Entomologists would more likely recommend catnip. Studies show that catnip is 10 times as effective in repelling mosquitos as deet. Catnip also works for roaches and apparently termites too! Who knew?
Because mosquitos are constantly being stirred and carried by the wind, new visitors are always going to loiter near any entrance where the smell of a potential meal outweighs any other inconvenience. Mosquitos are homeless drifters with a desperately short lifespan of only a few weeks during which they are programmed to fight for survival and produce offspring.
That said, I always welcome new information and ideas for reducing mosquito impact on human survival.
To clarify... the use of dunks controls mosquito larvae specifically. Dunks contain natural Bacillus Thuringeniensis Iraeliensis or B.t.i. in a sustained release larvaecide. They are safe to use in pet watering bowls, horse troughs, fish ponds and aquatic gardens.
Around water lilies, dunks are recommended instead of fish for controlling mosquitos. Dunks do not control fish. Fish are great consumers of mosquito adults, eggs and larvae but they tend to wallow out the soil from potted water lilies and chew away roots. Those who want more showy lily blossoms should keep fish in a fish pond and control mosquito larvae in lily ponds with dunks.
mcate, Thank you so much for posting your very knowledgeable experience. I believe I have learned as much from reader comments as I did from researching for our backyard mosquito mitigation plan (and the article).
You have helped make my case for a ground level pond. I did not benefit as much from the natural wildlife by using a raised container. Several toads showed up to bury in the loose mulch and absorb spilled water around the water storage, and I saw a dragonfly or two, but visits from the more water-dependent critters was impossible without direct access to our little pond. I am hoping that another season with a yard of water features will attract and balance the wildlife ecology here.
The mosquito repellent plants don't seem to work very well unless they are crumpled, rubbed on the skin, or left on the ground, to emit their repellent odors which only lasts for an hour or so. So far, catnip, lemon balm, and marigold are promising plants for the species of mosquitoes in our area.
I resisted using Dunks this year until I knew more about it. I may resort to using them next year if the skeeter population gets out of control again.
Thanks again for reading, and your valuable input!
Bev
Bev,
I didn't mention dragon flies! Glad you did. With the pond, one of the most enjoyable features are the beautiful multicolored dragonflies of every size. They have such fun zooming around EATING mosquitos and chasing each other. Of course they have to investigate people but they are totally harmless. I was at first, concerned about the dunks affecting other species than mosquitos but every week I see new dragonfly larvae skins attached to the ornamental grass or the stem of a lily blossom and know a new dragonfly nymph has emerged from the pond, unzipped itself and spread its wings.
After hurricane Ike, I had to drain our pond to clean out the extensive debris but I left several pounds of the smaller sediment after discovering dozens of naiads and immediately refilled the pond with well water so their life cycle will have minimal interruption. Dragonflies are an important mosquito control vector.
mcate, I think the dragonflies eat more flying adult mosquitoes, and the nymphs eat the skeeter larvae, than anything else! And, the dragonflies I've seen here are really gorgeous!
I found more research that claim the bats may not be as useful if other insects are more readily available (like moths). The toads consume a lot but are restricted to the adult mosquitoes within their reach at ground level.
I think you've all convinced me the Dunks are safe enough to try. If you've read some of the other posted comments, I believe a few of the repellent shrubs mentioned may be worth trying as well, as long as they add to the landscape.
