Miracle Grow vs Mosquitos

Just yesterday a friend of mine told me that she keeps Miracle Grow in her rain barrel to keep the Mosquitos from breeding - anyone know anything about this. Sounds wonderful if it works.

I never heard of it , but you can bet that I'll try it next year.
trailingon

Try one of the Bt coils instead.

Byron

What is a BT coil??

Honibee...they are products with Bacillus thuringiensis in them...I remember one poduct goes by the name Mosquito Dunk or perhaps Mosquito Donuts. You float them in the rain barrel and they inhibit/kill mosquito larvae. I usually just float a thin layer of a cheap brand of corn oil in my water barrels tho.

WHy not just buy a dollar worth of feeder fish and toss them in the barrel?

Would the Donuts harm the birds in a birdbath?

No Azalea...that variety of Bt would only have an effect on the mosquito larvae. Other varieties of Bt tend to affect soft-bodied worms, which is applied either as a spray or dust on foliage. The only precaution I would bring up is it has been known to wipe out the Swallowtail Butterfly in some areas so should be used respectfully (am speaking of the foliage Bt here). (Credit for that last sentence goes to Ohiorganic for bringing it to my attention quite some months ago.) You should feel safe with the donuts. (As an aside, no variety of Bt affects warm blooded animals.)

Thanks H. I do admire all your helpful knowledge

I would like to know how Miracle gro would kill Mosquitos as it is a fertilizer, not an insecticide

At any rate Bt "Dunks" kill only the mosquitos and nothing else. For a bird bath simply dump the water when ever you see larvas squiggling around. The baths should be dumped at least weekly anyhow

For rain barrels put a lid on them and open them only when it rains.
Or
Use the BT dunks
or
put a tbl of bleach in the water (it doesn't take much)
or
try vinager

Bt kills the larva stage of all lepidotera and many beetles. There are different Bt's for different insects, so read the package for which insect(s) are targeted.

Interestingly Bt is a close relative of Anthrax, which is a human killer. But as Horseshoe mentioned Bt is harmless to mammals, birds and fish.

The one for skeets and blackflies is ;

B.t. var. israelensis

Ohio, Wonder if it's the ammonia in MG?



This message was edited Friday, Sep 7th 9:00 PM

you can get Bt (donuts or powder) @
http://www.gardens-alive.com

I don't think the Miracle Grow would kill them, just prevent them from breeding.

It sounds like the MG kills the larva or eggs in the water and has nothing to do with breeding or egg laying. The mosquitos breed out of water but lay their eggs in water and it is MG in the water doing the trick so it is obviously killing eggs or larva.

Byron, Of course it would be the ammonia, that stuff will kill about any earthbound lifeform