Lakes and ponds can improve the aesthetics and increase the value of a property. However, depending on the structure, maintenance, and presence or absence of natural predators, ponds can also be a breeding area and nursery for mosquitoes. Maintaining shorelines, encouraging natural mosquito predators, and applying larvicide can help reduce the population of the blood-sucking, itch-causing pest.
Shoreline Maintenance
Picture a beautiful pond with fountain aeration systems bubbling away, but the shoreline is a mess. When the shoreline of a lake or pond has an abundance of debris, weeds, reeds, and other plant growth, it can create an attractive area for adult mosquitoes to gather and breed. Many species of female mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs in the stagnant water along the shoreline, with the plant growth providing protection for their young. It takes an average of 10 days for a mosquito egg to grow through its larval stages and emerge as an adult. During hot summer months, when the nighttime temperature stays fairly high, the growth process can accelerate by several days. Without adequate maintenance of the shoreline area, the mosquito population could quickly grow to nuisance levels.
Natural Predators
Certain species of fish must find mosquito larvae to be a delicacy because they actively seek them out for food. Depending on regulations surrounding stocking lakes and ponds, it may be possible to add these mosquito larvae-loving creatures to the body of water for natural, round-the-clock mosquito control. Other insects enjoy feasting on the wrigglers, too and should some survive to hatch into adulthood, other creatures, including bats, are more than happy to pluck mosquitoes out of the air as a tasty snack.
Larvicide Control
Should shoreline maintenance and natural predators fail to keep the mosquito population under control, there is the option of applying larvicidal products. A significant amount of research into controlling mosquitoes during their larval stage in the water has produced a wealth of evidence that has led the way to the creation of precisely targeted agents, including naturally occurring bacteria. These agents are comparable to tiny smart bombs that only target mosquito larvae in the water and not other insects, fish, or other aquatic creatures. If needed and applicable to regulations surrounding water protection, larvacidal control can be very effective in preventing the emergence of adult mosquitoes.
With all the natural beauty lakes and ponds add to a community, it would be a shame if there were so many biting mosquitoes that the feature becomes unenjoyable. There are several methods to deal with out of control populations of mosquitoes, with the most effective of those targeting the bug while it grows in water.