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How do you keep mosquitoes from breeding in a garden bird bath?
Posted on March 18th, 2009 1 commentI have three cement bird baths around my house. The birds make substantial use of them. When rain doesn't supply the water for them, I do. But someone told me mosquitoes are breeding in these things and I shouldn't use them. Is this true?
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One response to “How do you keep mosquitoes from breeding in a garden bird bath?”
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mable.syrup March 18th, 2009 at 08:43
Mosquito Dunkers, not "donuts." Mosquito Dunkers are a round donut-shaped product made to be dropped into small pools of water. Dunkers release a larvicide which kills mosquito larvae before they can become those flying adults, which always seem to be buzzing an inch away from my ear.
Mosquitoes need calm water in order to lay their eggs. So instead of adding ingredients to the water, all you need to do is stir the water up a bit and they can't breed. That is why many manmade ponds and water gardens have waterfalls and fountains. It's not only about the aesthetics or showing off. The motion created by the falls stirs up the water surface and prevents the mosquitoes from breeding. With that in mind several companies have developed devices that we can place into our bird baths that will stir up the water. One is called a "Water Wiggler" and just like the name suggests, it vibrates the water surface to discourage mosquitoes.Now I'm going to let you in on a little secret. None of the above things that we've just discussed are at all necessary. Neither the oil, the donut, or the wiggler are needed to prevent mosquitoes. And why is that you ask? Because it takes at least a week, and probably longer, for a mosquito to go from an egg to adult. That means all you have to do is change the water in your bird bath once a week and you'll never, ever have to worry about mosquitos in your bath.
Potted plants can be a much greater source of breeding mosquitoes than any bird bath. Those little saucers that we place under flowerpots, to catch extra water, are a great breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Keep an eye on those. That's my little gardening tip of the week.
To keep mosquitoes from ever forming in your bird bath all you have to do is change the water once a week. But you had better attend to your bird bath much more than that. I say clean it out every day or two. If you don't, then your bath will be unhealthy for both you and the birds. The only thing a gross bird bath will attract is Skeeter
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