Water features can be a beautiful and peaceful addition to your garden. The only downside is the insects they can attract and how easily they can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes who lay eggs in standing water.
Not only are these little pests bothersome, they can actually do a lot of harm with their disease-spreading bites. But fear not, we’ve put together a list of ways to reduce and eliminate the potential for mosquito larvae in your water features and ponds, so you can enjoy your garden in perfect tranquillity all year round. Read on to discover how to stop insects in water features.
8 natural steps of how to stop insects in water features
There are plenty of ways to enact safe larval control measures without harming or polluting other potential wildlife in and around your water feature.
Improve water flow
Ensure that the water in your water feature keeps moving and that the pump works to avoid any stagnant water build-up, which is where mosquitoes thrive. So long as there’s movement in your water feature you have a no egg laying zone.
If your water feature doesn’t already create enough water flow, you can purchase small fountains, aerators or waterfalls to keep the water moving. Our Solar Water Pump Kit contains everything you need to improve aeration and water flow.
Create depth
Mosquito larvae and other bugs often survive best in shallow water, so water features that have some depth to them are less likely to be able to house large quantities of mosquitoes.
Plant mosquito-repelling plants
There are plants which act as natural repellents against mosquitoes, repulsed by the smells they emit. Luckily for us humans, they all actually smell rather pleasant so are an effective and agreeable natural deterrent:
- Catnip (nepeta plants)
- Marigold
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Mint
- Basil
- Lemon balm
- Lemon grass
Help natural predators thrive
Another way to attain a bug-free water feature is to simply let nature take its course by promoting the introduction of natural predators. The introduction of fish like koi, guppies or minnows can help minimise the amount of mosquito larvae significantly.
Other predators include frogs, birds, bats, nematodes and insects like dragonflies that feed on mosquito eggs. You can give a little helping hand to frogs and birds with frog homes and birdhouses to make your garden more inviting for them!
Barley Straw
Algae can be a standalone issue in water features and it also happens to be something mosquito larvae love to feed on. Using barley straw can be an effective way of eliminating algae and therefore limiting the mosquito population.
If algae is a big problem for your ponds and water features, check out this guide on how to prevent algae in your water features.
Keep your water feature clean
Similarly to using barley straw to reduce algae, keeping on top of your water feature’s general cleanliness is a surefire way to reduce the number of insects wanting to make a home out of it. Using a fountain safe water feature cleaner is a great way to keep those bugs at bay.
Use natural remedies
There are a number of natural remedies you can try that use things you may already have in your kitchen cupboard and won’t harm other wildlife in the process:
- Adding a sprinkle of cinnamon
- Adding citric acid so that 15% of the total volume of the pond/water feature is citric acid (or place citronella candles nearby)
- Adding 15% vinegar based on the total volume of your water feature/pond
- Using a light spray of vegetable oil to the surface of the water
Use bacteria
You can use mosquito dunks which are full of B.T.I (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), a bacteria which is only toxic to mosquito larvae and harmless to all other types of wildlife.
Find everything you need at Primrose
Whatever method you choose to employ, the cleanliness of your water feature/pond is one of the most important aspects of keeping it in working order, so making sure you have all the right treatments and solutions to keep it spick and span.
If you’re looking for a water feature to add to your collection or are a water feature newbie, we’ve got fountains, waterfalls, birdbaths and more to suit your needs.
If you aren’t sure where to start, browse our best-selling solar powered water features and grab some accessories to keep your water feature looking and working its best.