[Frog]

Have tried a search for an answer to this, but don't seem to be able to find one......

We have a water butt (alias blue barrel) on the lottie that is "alive"! It is crawling with what we think are mosquitos. We dont have a lid on it, nor a tap. Is it still safe to water our plants with the water? Will the mossies do any damage to the plants? How can we get rid of them, without emptying all the water out, cleaning the barrel and starting again?

On the subject of water butts - the one we have at home, I managed to snap the plastic handle off.  :oops:  :oops:  We now have to take water out of the top. Has anyone tried replacing a tap before? I guess the butt would need to be emptied too?!

Am hoping the above makes sense.... am full of cold, and my head is abit wuzzy! :shaking:

[Spinosa]

Sounds like it might be mosquito larvae. Don't think they'll damage the plants but they'll damage you and will make you unpopular with everyone around!  

One way of deterring them is to get a 1 or 2 litre bottle of cheap, cheap cooking oil - depends on the size of your water butt. Pour it on top of the water, it creates a barrier which stops the adults laying into it and it'll smother the larvae until they die and sink.

This of course works best if you have a tap at the bottom - you then take out the water from under the oil, as the oil will always float. As the water level goes down, the oil will coat the sides and rise again as the butt fills up, so you shouldn't have to replace it too often. Even if some oil made it onto the plants, it won't damage them in small amounts. Try and make sure the water level isn't drawn as low as that, though.

Hope that makes sense!  

[Big Jen]

Put a couple of small goldfish in- that will solve the problem. I have them in all the horses water troughs, they love it and grow like mad.

[Spinosa]

Put a couple of small goldfish in- that will solve the problem. I have them in all the horses water troughs, they love it and grow like mad.

I'd heard that too - does it work? Don't they end up short of oxygen in there? I'm really curious, it's obviously preferable to the way I suggested, but I would want the fish to have a good quality of life... :?

[compostqueen]

I had to replace the tap on mine as the plastic ones are generally rubbish  :roll:  You do need to empty it first but that won't be too much of a problem if you have plenty of veg to water     I have a lid on mine and don't notice any insects flying about in it but the oil tip is a good one. Thanks

[Big Jen]

Spinosa- Dont see the fish very often cause the water goes green, but when cleaning out the troughs they look remarkably healthy and fat. Fish love live food and I never feed them anything else. I used to get bitten to death by mozzies and dont any more so it does work. To be fair I think you should have a fairly large water butt and somthing in there for them to hide in. I have put a peice of drainpipe.

[Scribbler]

The best way to get rid of them is to put literally a drop of washing up liquid in the water butt. This breaks down the meniscus, and without the surface tension they will all drown as they can't come up to the surface to breathe.

You only need a single drop.

[Welsh Girls Allotment]

I've got fish in my water butt, I took them and some weed out of my garden pond put them in the water butt about six months ago and they are thriving  

[fletch]

I have small goldfish in my water butts too and no larvae this year, last year there were hundreds.

I think I will buy them a tank and bring them in for the worst of winter though as my butts really freeze over.

[jannie]

I also use washing up liquid in my water butts but i also put charcoal in them and the water stays sweeter and not so green jan

[Frog]

Many thanks for all of your replies! You are a helpful bunch!!!

I like the idea of adding a couple of goldfish, though OH not so keen. Do you have to fish the fish out over winter?
Will prob just add a drop of Fairy. Interested to read about adding charcoal Jannie - is this regular bbq charcoal?

[jannie]

hi yes   but make sure there just charcoal as a lot of them have lighter fuel added now for easy lighting good luck jan

[Zak the Rabbit]

never thought of putting fish in the water butts!

i deal with mozzies by adding a dozen dropped of vinegar, that creates an acidic surface region that they cant stand, so the larvae swim down, but then die due to lack of air. The cooking oil idea will also work well but leave a residue. I'd also never thjought of the washing up liquid idea either, but that makes good sense too

all great ideas

would the fish need to be in butts without lids though?

[Big Jen]

I would think they definately need to be in butts without lids they need some light.

[Zak the Rabbit]

I would think they definately need to be in butts without lids they need some light.

thats what i would have thought. That rules it out for me really, i dont want my lad taking a look at the fish and ending up drowned head first