I've been reading rain barrel reviews lately since I'm thinking of putting one on the side of our house. I don't know why, but it never occurred to me that in addition to capturing all that lovely water that Mother Nature is supplying, I would also be creating the most perfect environment for a Long Island Tick And Mosquito Control!
No one has ever like mosquitoes, but these days it is more important than ever to stay as far away from them as we can. Diseases like West Nile Virus are potentially fatal and are carried by mosquitoes, so this is much more serious than an annoying, itchy bite.
In many of the rain barrel reviews of the newer models, I've seen that mosquito screens are now pretty much included in the design. However, if yours doesn't come with one or you have one that rips, there are some other options.
You could make sure that you empty your rain barrel every four or five days. Once a female lays her eggs, it takes a week or two for the egg to develop into a mosquito.
Another option is to add a small doughnut shaped pellet called a Mosquito Dunk. This does not harm the water, but it releases an ingredient known as BT - short for Bacillus Thuringiensis. BT kills mosquito larvae for over a month. I saw these "Dunks" on Amazon for about $18, and they give you 20 of them.
If you are worried about BT being harmful to plants or pets, don't be. BT is safe for both.
Another easy fix would be to simply attach your own fine screening over any openings in your rain barrel. You can secure it with electric tape. If you like, you can add some cheesecloth over the screen which will act as an additional filter, but will still allow are to flow through.
This idea is a good one, because it not only prevents mosquito infestation, but it all keeps out pollen, leaves and other types of debris that might otherwise find its way inside the barrel.
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