[prakash_mib]

yesterday I opened the waterbutt to find lots of mosquito larvae wriggling in it. Thats one flipping lot. can do anything apart from draining the whole tank off and water all the plants at home and leave the waterbutt dry.
Does anybody know how to control them? I have a problem, there is a gap on the lid where the deflector pipe goes in. somewhat like the hole is 2" dia and the pipe is just an inch dia.

[JayG]

Mozzy larvae breath through tubes which break through the surface tension of the water.

Usual treatment is to add some vegetable oil to form a floating layer across the surface; this suffocates the poor little things!

(Another "treatment" is to buy a goldfish, but that's not really a practical solution for a water butt!)

Finding a way to prevent the adults getting in and laying eggs is of course the only permanent solution.

[starry]

I used to spend ages scooping up the larve and feeding them to my goldfish they are not very difficult to catch and its quite theraputic!! (well I was about 13 then !!) 

[JayG]

I did exactly the same thing Starry at the same age! I sunk an old tin bath in the ground especially to "breed" mozzies; spent ages with my tea-strainer making sure I'd caught all the comma-shaped ones as that is the last stage you can catch them before they leave the water! Very satisfying! 


(Prakash; an old plastic carrier bag or similar stuffed into the gap would probably be enough to keep them out as long as there aren't any other ways in.)

[savbo]

Bob Flowerdew says he puts a couple of goldfish in his waterbutts to eat the mozzies!

[Beetroot queen]

could this possibly be what I have in my tadpole tank they look sort of like a thin raindrop shape (not a great description) but its the first thing into my head 

[Swing Swang]

I do believe that in countries where mozzies are a problem a low tech solution is to float a load of polystyrene beads on top of water tanks to stop the adults getting to the water - I guess it's a way to recycle 'packing beads'.

SS

[savbo]

could this possibly be what I have in my tadpole tank they look sort of like a thin raindrop shape (not a great description) but its the first thing into my head 

hmmm they are more like little straight lines with a bend at the end...they are lighter than water so float up to the surface where they hang by the little bend. The pupae are like commas with two tiny horns.

[mumofstig]

In greece where they are a real pain, they put olive oil on top as already said

[davethespread]

but what if your taps dont work and you have get the water out the top

[mumofstig]

the olive oil won't hurt anything at all as long as you water the soil, and might make your hands softer   

[JayG]

Oh Mum you are soooooooooo posh!

Vegetable oil is cheaper than olive oil (maybe less good for your hands though!)    

Pic here of mosquito larvae; the one shaped like a comma (back-to-front in this photo!) is at the pupal stage and will soon be flying around feeling very thirsty!!!  

[Aidy]

You could always move up north, no mozzies in our water butts!! and still no rain 

[mumofstig]

Oh Mum you are soooooooooo posh!
Vegetable oil is cheaper than olive oil (maybe less good for your hands though!)    

Over there olive oil was free for helping with the harvest 

Over here the cheapest thing is to have a lid that fits tight 

[chrisjsmith]

We suffer from mozzies (I live next to a sewage farm).  A few drops of washing up liquid usually sorts them out.  It breaks the surface tension on the water and causes the rafts to sink, drowning them.