Dirt Gardener – Mosquitoes and Old Wine

Q. Is there a way to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in my pond? I’m not having a problem; yet, but afraid it’s not too far off?     

A. Mosquito’s are easily controlled in ponds, fountains, water gardens, and birdbaths with a larvicide. They’re only going to be a problem where water is stationary and not moving. In addition, I’d also include any saucer where water may collect for more than twenty-four hours. With the concerns with West Nile Virus, we need to be diligent in controlling Mosquito’s once the rainy season concludes.

A Larvicide is an insecticide that specifically targets the larval stage of an insect. Besides mosquitoes, they’re commonly applied to control the larva or worm stage of caterpillars such as the Tomato Hornworm, Cabbage Loppers and Budworm on petunias and geraniums. For the home and garden, the typical Larvicide for caterpillars is Bacillus thuringiensis, also known as Bt, while Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, known as Bti, and Bacillus sphaericus, is used specifically for mosquitoes. When ingested, the target insects get a fatal case of the stomach flu as the bacteria crystallize a toxin that destroys their digestive tract. They’re naturally occurring bacterium and pose no threat to kids, pets, other insects or the environment. In water, Mosquito Dunks and Bits, made by Summit Chemical Co are available for controlling mosquitoes. The Mosquito Dunk is a solid material in the shape of a donut. They float on the water’s surface and will keep on working for thirty days or longer. While floating, they slowly release the larvicide on the waters surface where it is eaten by the mosquito larvae, which then die before reaching maturity. You would apply one dunk per one hundred square feet of surface water. They can easily be broken up to treat small areas and any unused dunks retain their potency so you can store them indefinitely. Mosquito Bits are designed to provide a quick kill when a large population of mosquito larvae is present. They’re also used in those areas where the dunks are not practical such as in saucers. These fast acting control needs to reapplied every fourteen days.

Note: It is the female mosquito and not the male that bite. Her typical life span in nature is two weeks. Mosquito’s don’t produce venom. Instead, the saliva from the bite is what causes the pesky welt and the bothersome itching.

 Q. Is it okay to recycle old wine in the garden? We want to discard a number of full or partly full old bottles. So far, we have hesitated for fear that it might not be a good thing.

 A. With old wine, I’d pour it down the drain and not on your compost pile or around plants. Like a wine barrel, the pungent fragrance of the wine could last for an extended period of time. My horticultural concern is what if the wine has turned to vinegar. Plants could be damaged from the highly acidic liquid. I see very little value in disposing of it in a garden.

Buzz Bertolero is Executive Vice President of Navlet’s Garden Centers and a California Certified Nursery Professional. His web address is www.dirtgardener.com and you can send questions by email at dirtgarden@aol.com or to 360 Civic Drive Ste. ‘D’, Pleasant Hill, Calif. 94523 and on Facebook at Facebook/.com/BuzzBertolero