Thread: Rain barrels

Any advice on rain barrels and not promoting mosquitoes. We have draught in areas and curious if other gardners are considering this.

How about a fine mesh screen over the top?

How about a fine mesh screen over the top?

How fine does it take to keeps mosquitoes out? I was thinking about that but not sure how fine and how to do it.

I saw 1 rain barrel in my life and I was a kid and it was a simple wooden barrel with the wooden top and maybe a 2 in hole in the top. Stuck your thumb in and pulled the top off and dipped your bucket in.

No mold or mosquitoes....in fact it even stayed cool. Just wondering about todays standards.

I have heard that a droplet of petroleum is extremely efficient as it kills nymphaes/larvaes of mosquitoes. However it is a bit un-ecological.

droplet of petroleum

Like Vasolene or plain auto gas?

We have got a problem that these things are called differently in Europe and the USA. That sort which is directly used in oil lamps.

So it is true - I found it even on wikipedia:

Kerosene has been used to treat pools of standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, notably in the yellow fever outbreak of 1905 in New Orleans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene

But I know that from my uncle who is using it at his garden.

I think a very fine mesh would keep them critters from dropping their eggs or larvae in there.

You can buy tablets to drop in your water to kill the larva,most garden centers and maybe Home Depot sell themI think a little bleach may do the job to and would stop fungus from growing.

You can buy or scrounge pieces of large diameter pipe like they use for sewers,cap off the end with a down spout in one end and add a spigot toward the bottom.You can buy water storage containers at garden suppliers and sometimes at recyling places you can find big empty plastic barrels.

I had a 1,000 gal. septic tank buried in my yard and use it for water storage and bought a small water pump which I hooked to a garden hose,it works great but may be more money then you want to spend.

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We have got a problem that these things are called differently in Europe and the USA. That sort which is directly used in oil lamps.

LOL....you're right....I think it's cool though...keeps me asking questions and learning. Now I know what your talking about...smokeless and odorless or regular? LOL (teasing here)