Daniel wrote Some questions:

Hi Daniel! :-)

1) How much of a mosquito dunk would be needed for the half whiskey
barrel?

I use Mosquito Bits, same product as Mosquito Dunks and I use them about every
two weeks in my fishless frog bog and three container ponds. Half a dunk though
would be fine for a barrel.

Have there been reports of mosquitos building up a resistance?

I have not heard this.

How can I be sure all are gone? My idea is to flood first, and then
add the dunk.

You can see them as they must hang out on the surface to breathe. Flooding does
not work, I tried that once ;-) ran the hose for a full hour and the darn
things somehow managed to hang in there.

2) Would placing a suitable wire/cloth mesh to keep mosquitos out
bother the water lily very much?

I don't think it would keep mosquitoes out.

3) Could I add a fish or two right now and they be healthy, or do I
still need to wait a couple of days to a few weeks to give the water
garden a probationary period? I already added dechorinator.

I would still wait a bit. Two weeks to be extra safe but many people have added
fish the same day, no problems.

No rocks
at the bottom, though.

Don't add rocks, they trap gunk.

Any other aquatic scenery I could add to make
them happier?

The fish would appreciate someplace to hide, especially at first before the
lily sends up pads. You can get an aquarium toy or lay a small clay pot on its
side.

The container gets afternoon sun, by the way, is
positioned on a lone patio stone, and I'm in the South. Any idea of
pH and temperature levels before adding fish would help.

Not my area of expertise. Hey, someone! ;-)

4) I'm not quite as interested in filtration

But your fish are, especially if you have more than one. Plants will filter the
water. A test kit for ammonia will help until you get the right balance of
plants to fish going.

as I am as in keeping the
water not stagnant, or at least making the water as unfriendly to
mosquitoes as possible while at the same time preserving the plants
that are in there. I would hope a filter/pump combo won't catch the
floating plants that are in there! Perhaps a fountain would also do?

Water movement is important to keeping the oxygen levels for fish. Especially
if your water gets too hot in the afternoon. Also plants stop producing O2 when
the sun goes away. Water movement helps the fish survive the night.
If you have a lily you do not want violent water movement but a spitter will do
fine. Depending on the size of your container pond a bell fountain will work
too.

5) Is this time of the year really the time to worry about mosquitos?

Yes. But more so as spring wears on and summer gets here. Mosquitoes winter
over as eggs and they are hatching.

6) Any alternate, more cost effective ways to control mosquitos
without a pump?

The dunks or bits. I use them as I have four bodies of water without fish or
pumps.
I like the bits especially for my bog as it is full of plants and nooks and
crannies. I can broadcast the bits to get to every part of the bog.



kathy :-)
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