Question:
I have a friend trying to enjoy his backyard, however he has a 1.5 acre
natural pond that is infested with mosquitos in his yard. Does anyone
have any suggestions on how to control this problem, either organically
or chemically? He has heard that goldfish will eat the larva, but is
uncertain how many to buy if this is true.
Answer:
-A few questions. Where in the world are you? Why are there no
naturally occuring native fish already in the pond? Has your friend
considered adding native fish to his pond for mosquito control?
Without further information I suggest not adding goldfish to a
natural pond of that size. It is not small enough to control the population
of the fish without drastic measures. Eventually, several generations down
the road, the majority of the population will have reverted to the ancestral
grey coloration of goldfish making them hard to see at best.
Native fish would be better choice for such a large natural pond and
I'm sure they would be better for mosquito control also.
-"however he has a 1.5 acre natural pond that is infested with mosquitos ... "
Perhaps he should get some minnows (lots) from a nearby creek or lake.
If he decides to go with goldfish, tell him to ask for feeder fish. They are
VERY cheap ... One store here sell the for $.08 each ... another sells 20 for
$1.50. Ask around. He would need a lot for a big pond like that, but they
do multiply. They won't breed until they are bigger, though, so he might
want to get a few big ones (4" or so) to get them busy.
Also, bats love to munch on mosquitos. Suggest that he set up some bat
houses. They won't bother anyone but the bugs. Does he have frogs?
They eat skeeters, too.
I hope he can find a solution without using chemicals.
