Mosquitoes want stagnant water to breed. Their infants begin out as little worm-like creatures that breathe via their butts and eat algae and micro organism till they’re able to turn into the biting, flying nemeses everyone knows so effectively. This is the reason you’re imagined to cowl or dump out any containers that acquire water weekly. However what about puddles, potholes, and containers like rain barrels that may’t simply be coated or dumped? That’s what mosquito dunks are for.
What are mosquito dunks?
Mosquito dunks are doughnut-shaped pellets that you may float in a kind of water sources. (It’s also possible to run a string or stake via the outlet, if you happen to want a approach to preserve it in place.) Because the dunk dissolves, it releases micro organism that mosquito larvae will eat. Thus far, that sounds nice for the mosquitoes.
However the micro organism within the dunks are Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), that are innocent to individuals and most animals, however toxic to child mosquitoes. You can safely use them in fish ponds or birdbaths, and the EPA notes that whereas Bti may even kill the larvae of black flies and gnats, it doesn’t have an effect on honeybees or most different insect species.
Listed below are some mosquito dunks to think about:
- These dunks final 30 days and deal with 100 sq. toes of water floor. (You’ll be able to break a dunk into items to deal with smaller areas.)
- Mosquito bits are the identical concept as dunks, however in smaller pellet type.
- Have numerous mosquito-breeding areas? Purchase dunks in bulk.
Do mosquito dunks truly work?
Not like numerous mosquito-repelling yard hacks, mosquito dunks are legit. Each the CDC and EPA suggest them for standing water you’re unable to cowl or drain. This might embody decorative options of your yard like koi ponds and chook baths, or locations that acquire water accidentally, like gutters or ditches that replenish with water, or unused swimming swimming pools. (For swimming swimming pools which might be truly in use, the chlorine is sufficient to preserve mosquitoes out.)
Word that dunks stop mosquitoes from breeding, however they don’t kill current mosquitoes. This implies you shouldn’t anticipate a right away discount of their numbers from utilizing a dunk. However their life cycle is brief, working from a number of days to some weeks, relying on the species and the local weather. Meaning if you remove the locations that larvae can thrive, you’ll seemingly discover decreased numbers of mosquitoes in a while this summer season.
If you happen to’d like to hurry up the method, you’ll be able to attempt utilizing a dunk to create a “Bucket of Doom.” It is a entice for mosquito moms to put their eggs in a pleasant, swampy bucket—which you occur to have handled with a dunk.
