Controlling the mosquito's

I love ponds. I have an affinity for water, and we have our share of water features in my yard. I have a small pond in my front yard (debating turning it into a bog garden....), we have a bathtub that is dug into the ground in our back yard, as well as the new pond. I enjoy the sound of a fountain, plants growing around it, the birds bathing in it, bugs skating across the tops. Ah, it's peaceful to see.

The downside? It is a mosquito breeding ground! And if there are ton's of mosquito's around, I can't sit outside and enjoy the water. Solutions? Well, one person told me to toss a glug of bleach into the water every week or so (please...not that!). And there are also chemical disks that you can purchase to toss in. I do not know if either one of those solutions are harmful to pets or wildlife. Plus, it may kill off my plantings in and around the pond.

A healthier and more green solution to the problem is buying some fish. I would love to be able to fork out 20 bucks a fish for koi, but that is not in my budget. Nope, I am more of the "couple of bucks worth of feeder fish" kinda gal!

So, each spring, once it gets around 50 degrees at night, I waltz into the local pet store and get some feeder fish (this year, 8 for a dollar). I got a dollar's worth for each pond, and added them in. Yes, expect to see some fishy death's (feeder fish are baby goldfish, and can be fragile). I anticipate losing half of the fish in the first month, but there is usually four or more who survive, and they do a GREAT job of eating the mosquito larvae. Do not feed them fish flakes, because if they fill up on fish flakes, they won't eat the larvae.

Plus, it adds a nice touch to the ponds, something to look for underneath the waterlily pads.

Reminder: mosquito larvae can be in any standing water, including water resting inside of tires, abandoned glasses/cans, old kids toys. If you have a mosquito problem, check those things out as well as looking at your pond.