How to Add a Water Feature Without Attracting Mosquitoes

Ponds, fountains and other water features can transform your backyard into a tranquil oasis. If you live near a highway or in a noisy area, water features can drown out ambient noise and replace it with a soothing, natural sound. 

Adding a water feature can also enhance existing landscaping, often with little required maintenance. Lastly, providing a water feature in your yard can help you attract butterflies and hummingbirds. However, there is one creature you don’t want to attract when you add water to your landscape: mosquitoes. It’s important to control mosquitoes in your water features to maintain a pleasant backyard environment.

How To Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Water Features

When designing a water feature, it’s essential to consider the potential for mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, so incorporating features that prevent stagnant water from accumulating is crucial. Opt for a water feature with a depth of at least two feet and steep walls. These conditions make it harder for mosquito larvae to survive.

According to Alan Brown, Board Certified Entomologist and Technical Director at ABC Home & Commercial Services, incorporating a bubbler or waterfall feature can also help prevent mosquito breeding by creating moving water. A pond pump or water circulation system is another effective way to keep the water moving and prevent stagnation. Adding fish that eat mosquito larvae, such as Gambusia or koi, can help control mosquito populations.

Regular maintenance, such as cleaning the water surface and removing debris, is crucial in preventing mosquito breeding. By thoughtfully designing and regularly maintaining your water feature, you can enjoy a beautiful addition to your landscape.

How To Prevent Mosquitoes From Breeding in Water Features

Most species of mosquitoes lay their eggs in water. Larvae can thrive in even a bottle cap’s worth of water, so addressing mosquito larvae in your water feature is essential. If you want to add a pond, waterfall or fountain to your landscape, you’ll want to learn how to add a water feature without attracting mosquitoes. Here are some options for keeping mosquitoes away from your water features:

• Use mosquito dunks
• Circulate your water
• Add mosquito fish
• Keep it clean

Let’s dive into each one of these tactics.

Use Mosquito Dunks 

Mosquito dunks are products that contain the bacteria Baccillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI). These bacteria are only toxic to mosquito larvae, and don’t effect people, pets and even other insects, like bees. You simply put mosquito dunks in your water source and you’re good to go! 

Circulate Your Water

Running water prevents mosquitoes from laying their eggs because they can only survive in stagnant water. Pond pumps are available from your local pond supply or home improvement center, and plastic tubing only costs a few dollars. Besides stirring the water around, pumps add oxygen, which helps control mosquitoes by preventing stagnant water. 

Depending on how much time and money you’d like to invest in the project, you can design a spectacular waterfall or stream as the centerpiece of your water feature.

Add Mosquito Fish

If you decide to add a pond to your landscape, you can enhance it and help with mosquito control by adding some fish. A handful of fish can consume their weight in mosquito eggs in under a week, and a few dollars worth of fish food can last for months. 

Gambusia, minnows, koi and guppies all eat mosquito larvae, and some local governments even provide free mosquito fish to help prevent the spread of mosquitoes.

Keep It Clean

Although maintaining a pond or fountain is far less work than a pool, you will still want to keep the water surface clear of vegetation or debris. This vegetation or debris can provide mosquito larvae with food and protection from predators. You can purchase a pond or skimmer net and do this weekly or monthly, depending on how quickly debris accumulates.

How to Deter Mosquitoes

To keep mosquitoes away from your yard, it’s essential to eliminate standing water and stagnant water sources. Regularly check your yard for areas where water accumulates, such as pet water dishes, bird baths and clogged drains. 

Consider using a repellent that contains DEET, which is highly effective at keeping mosquitoes away. You can also use outdoor fans to create airflow. Mosquitoes are weak fliers and tend to avoid breezy areas. Combining these strategies with good yard maintenance can significantly reduce mosquito activity.

If you have a severe mosquito infestation, call in a pest control specialist who can help target these pests at every stage of their life and give you tips for mosquito prevention for your yard. By following these tips, you can help create an outdoor space without the nuisance of these pesky insects.

Trust Your Mosquito Control To The Experts at ABC

Even after following these steps, you may still be swatting mosquitoes. If so, there may be other things you unknowingly do to provide mosquitoes with a hidden retreat. If you are sick of having your outdoor space ruined by mosquitoes, contact us at ABC Home & Commercial Services. Our mosquito control specialists will locate possible mosquito breeding grounds and treat the area so you and your family can enjoy your backyard oasis. They can also help you understand what mosquitoes are attracted to, so you can deter them better.