My pond is only 2 1/2 feet deep so I wasn't planning on having fish.(dont want to bring them inside in the winter etc.) I have mosquitoe dunks but will I still have a mosquito problem if I dont have fish to eat the larvae.
are mosquitoe dunks enough or do I need fish too?
If you have moving water than you dont have to worry about mosquitoes. If your pond is still, then you do. I use dunks in some water pots that I have but not in my pond. Does a good job of controlling them.
stickfigure,
I am in NJ, my pond is only two feet deep and my goldfish overwinter in the bottom of the pond. Besides the plant containers and floating plants that stay near the bottom, I set some stones in an arch that they can hide under. I have heard that moving water and fish were the trick. I have moving water AND fish but still see larvae (on the side of the pond where the water didn't move as much) if I don't use the dunks.
So I use dunks too. When I have not kept up with regular application of a dunk, I do get larvae so the dunk is the key for me.
Sue
This message was edited Jun 16, 2007 5:07 PM
My pond is about 18" to 20" deep and I have easily overwintered the goldfish in it with no care at all. This past year the top of the pond stayed frozen solid for quite a while (it was thick enought that I could walk on it for some time). If you have an established pond it is up to you whether or not to feed them. I do for the enjoyment of watching them come to the surface to snatch the food up. I agree that moving water is one of the best ways to keep from having a misquito problem. If you continue to have misquitos, do not automatically blame the pond. There are a myriad of reasons for them to be there. They can hatch in anything that will hold a slight amount of water including a saucer under a plant.
thanks for all the help.I feel betterand less itchy allready.
Goldfish overwinter fine in zone 5 in 2' of water. Just keep a hole open in the ice. As others have rightly pointed out, moving water eliminates the need for dunks. I have a large papyrus planted in a giant planter in kitty litter. About 4 inches of water covers the kitty litter. Parrot feather is planted at the base of the papyrus. As the water in the planter is still I keep watching for mosquito larvae but there hasn't been any and I don't know why. The dunk is still in the wrapper. In the recent hot windy weather the water has to be replenished about every other day but it never goes dry. There should be mosquito larvae. None, Nada, Zip. Go figure!