Mosquitoes in self-watering containers??

Judy McConnell 5/18/2015, 7:33 pm

As I was emptying trays used to water seedlings, I wondered about the folks using self-watering containers. What do you do to keep skeeters out of the openings and water tube? We don't use commercial poisons so do you fit window screen (or something similar) over all the openings??

**sanderson** 5/19/2015, 3:02 am

Good question.

gewanew 5/19/2015, 6:17 am

http://www.agardenpatch.com/Mosquito-Control/

George

Judy McConnell 5/19/2015, 7:52 am

Thanks, George!! That answered my question!

Razed Bed 5/19/2015, 10:47 am

We have never had an issue with mosquitoes in our self-watering containers, but we do have to deal with their prevention in our rain barrels.

A couple drops of cinnamon essential oil kills all larvae and prevents mosquitoes from visiting the tubs of water.

Essential oils are the safe alternative, as long as you don't spill the oil on a sensitive area of your skin. Since I tend to be an accident waiting to happen, I use surgical gloves when I handle cinnamon oil.

Tilth 5/19/2015, 6:38 pm

Razed Bed wrote:We have never had an issue with mosquitoes in our self-watering containers, but we do have to deal with their prevention in our rain barrels.

A couple drops of cinnamon essential oil kills all larvae and prevents mosquitoes from visiting the tubs of water.

Essential oils are the safe alternative, as long as you don't spill the oil on a sensitive area of your skin. Since I tend to be an accident waiting to happen, I use surgical gloves when I handle cinnamon oil.

Razed Bed, how often do you have to reapply the cinnamon essential oil to your rain barrels and approximately how much?

I keep all of the openings on my sub-irrigated planters either capped or plugged, so no mosquitoes there, but the rain barrel is a concern.

Cajun Cappy 5/19/2015, 6:56 pm

a splash of house hold bleach works well and is very inexpensive for us po' folks

CitizenKate 5/19/2015, 11:29 pm

I haven't had any issues with mosquitoes in my self-watering containers at all. My float valve bucket has a lid on it, and the container buckets are daisy-chained together with hoses. Not many places they can get in.

CitizenKate 5/19/2015, 11:30 pm

Cajun Cappy wrote:a splash of house hold bleach works well and is very inexpensive for us po' folks

Not sure the bleach would be so great for the plants, though...

Razed Bed 5/20/2015, 1:42 am

We add an additional couple drops of cinnamon every time additional rainwater comes down the downspout into the barrel. Because we have a lot of crops to water, it never lasts long enough to have the cinnamon weaken to the point where we have to add more cinnamon.

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Mosquitoes in self-watering containers??

Mosquitoes in self-watering containers??

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This works

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Essential Oils

Re: Mosquitoes in self-watering containers??

Re: Mosquitoes in self-watering containers??

Re: Mosquitoes in self-watering containers??

Re: Mosquitoes in self-watering containers??

Cinnamon Oil question answered

Re: Mosquitoes in self-watering containers??


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