Soil sterilization and mosquitos

I use Mosquito Dunks in my hydroponics reservoirs. It uses a bacterium bacillus thuringiensis to kill the wrigglers. This bacterium is available in a form that can be sprayed.

Bill

Can you sweep the puddles off the visqueen with a broom? Or pick up one edge and roll the puddles off?

I don't know how large an area you have covered with one sheet...

Jan

If you cut holes in the plastic, you will negate the sterilization as it will let the heat escape and not cook the young growing plants/weeds which is what sterilizes the soil. You need that contained heat and moisture.

Break mosquito dunks into little bits (even crush them into a coarse powder if necessary, though I'd leave bigger pieces so they don't blow away) and sprinkle the pieces where the water puddles. You could even "make puddles" for the water to have fewer spots. The mosquito dunk pieces will re-activate with the next rain and kill any larvae. That's one of the great things about the bacterium, it stays there just like the mosquito eggs and is "available" in the next rain as the eggs hatch. A wonderful product!

Glenna

Glenna

would pouring cooking oil in the puddles work? It is used in water storage tanks to control mozzies. The oil sits on the surface and stuffs up the mozzies breathing somehow, it seems.

rob

How long do the puddles last?

Mosquito larva take several days to grow (I've seen slightly different numbers, so I won't try to quote exactly how many days).

The problem I see with leaving the water is this. A few years ago, a nieghbor had a kiddie wadding pool, with a clear bottom, in the yard, in the 90 deg FL weather. When he moved it, the grass under it was the only grass on his property! The heat, without rain, causes the lawns to brown out. The pool, with water in it kept the grass (and soil) under it cooler.

I wonder how much a bunch of 1" long knife cuts would let heat escape?

The local health officials told me 3 days...