I grow plants in containers. I'm trying the containers in wading pools this year. I am worried about mosquito larva, I could use pebbles to mulch the water so to speak. But I'm wondering if the Epson salt I fertilize with which is magnesium, will it stop the mosquito larva?
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It will have no effect on the mosquito. But, they do make pellets to repel mosquito to add to water. However the best prevention is to not have standing water.
I don't think this is a good idea. The pools have to be kept very clean. You would be better off watering well and more than once on hot days.
We used to have a pond, but we stopped using it so we keep the pond dry. During the rain, it would fill up and we have to drain or else mosquitos and larva will be there.
Best to keep water clean or drain. If you can't they sell repellents at your local improvement store.
I have grown potted plants in a wading pool and my agriculture agent informed me that it was not a good idea but if I added Dawn original liquid soap (maybe other brands would work?) to the water mosquitoes would not live and he also said that I could add vegetable oil instead (ugh). Since I had already set up my "pond" I did try some of both and I did not have problems with mosquito larvae.
However, I did not take a chance the following year.
Many people do not realize they can have mosquito larvae in the containers under their plants.
Hello ! Vegetable oil works because when the larvae reach the surface to breath or to mute into actual flying mosquito they can't do so because they are, sort of, glued and suffocated by the oil, but the problem is that you need to put quite a lot of oil to cover the surface. There are other green solutions like fishes, especially the Gambusia affinis aka Mosquito fish which were and are still successfully used in regions where malaria was a risk (U.S.A and western Europe). You can also plant mosquito repellent plants like, the strongly scented menta aquatica which grows in water and mellisa officinalis which is an evergreen perennial very easy to grow.
Did the Dawn soap work better than the veggie oil? I used veggie oil but it made everything sticky. However it did form a film over the water and the larvae died. I live in Florida and garden but get bit alive from the mosquitoes.
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