It has been a glorious spring here in southeastern North Carolina with gentle temperatures and consistent rainfall. My garden has responded to the rain with a profusion of flowers that are attracting bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Unfortunately, the mild and wet winter has provided the perfect conditions for a less welcome insect in my garden: the mosquito.
No one enjoys getting bitten by a mosquito and sometimes we can start to wonder why these insects even exist! Believe it or not, mosquitos do serve a purpose in the ecosystem. They can serve as pollinators for some plants with both male and female mosquitos eating nectar from flowers. Male mosquitos will exclusively eat nectar throughout their lives and females will only seek a blood meal before laying eggs. Mosquitos are also part of the food web (larvae and adults) serving as food sources for dragonflies, turtles, bats, and birds.
It can be tempting to respond to ads for a mosquito treatment for your backyard, however it’s important to understand how pesticides for mosquito control work and the non-target impacts they can have on our pollinators. Most residential mosquito control companies use insecticides called pyrethroids; these are synthetic chemicals that mimic the action of pyrethrins, compounds derived from chrysanthemums. These compounds are effective in killing adult mosquitos, but they are broad-spectrum insecticides that will also kill any insect it comes in contact with including bees, butterflies, caterpillars, ladybugs, dragonflies, fireflies, and other beneficial insects. Additionally, the residues of these insecticides can remain on flowers and cause sub-lethal effects to bees that collect pollen and nectar from them.
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If your garden goal is to enjoy your outdoor space and protect a robust ecosystem where pollinators and wildlife can thrive, controlling mosquitoes at the larval stage is the best long-term solution. Eliminating breeding spots will stop larvae from developing into adult mosquitos. Female mosquitos lay their eggs in small, still pools of water and the larvae that emerge live in the water for about a week. Be sure to tip and toss any standing water in buckets, bird baths, and plant saucers to stop the breeding cycle.
A practice that is gaining popularity is creating an ominous sounding “Bucket of Doom,” turning a simple five-gallon bucket into a trap for mosquito larvae. This method uses a “Mosquito Dunk”, a larvicide that uses Bti, (Bti is short for Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis) a bacterium that produces a toxin that only kills larvae. It is completely safe for animals, fish, and other aquatic insects. To use this method, simply fill a five-gallon bucket with water, add some hay, and a mosquito dunk. I am currently using this method in my garden, and I can report that it works incredibly well. This method will be even more effective if your neighbors join in the practice. You can also put mosquito dunks in any standing water that can’t be emptied such as drainage ditches or tree holes.
For more information on mosquito control, visit: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/mosquito-control-around-homes-and-in-communities#breed.
Amy Mead is County Extension Director for NC Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center. She can be reached at afmead@ncsu.edu. The arboretum grounds are free and open daily 8 a.m.–5 p.m.