OCD anti-Zika mosquito control

greenwitch
Sun, 07 Aug 2016 02:54:40 +0000

http://www.nola.com/science/index.ssf/2016/03/your_yard_may_be_a_haven_for_z.html
for @coralbrook -

Rain barrels

The popularity of rain gardens, in which storm water is captured before it enters the municipal storm sewer, has led to the parallel interest in rain barrels to capture water coming off roofs (we called them water butts where I come from). These barrels can become prime breeding sites for mosquitoes if you’re not careful. The slightest opening between downspout and barrel should be well screened. “I’ve seen some with not-good screening and [mosquitoes] breed like mad,” Jeannine M. Dorothy, an entomologist with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, wrote via email.

If you have a rain barrel, you should also use mosquito dunks containing a biological larvacide named Bt. One method of thwarting mosquitoes is to put a few drops of mineral oil or detergent on the water to break the surface tension they need to hatch. These “would not work so well and would need constant re-application, which homeowners are not likely to do,” she wrote. So screen the barrel, add a dunk and use the water for your garden.