Midges & Mozzies!

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Airlite
Nurse Shark
Nurse Shark
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:24 pm

Midges & Mozzies!

Post by Airlite »

Gents, Ladies,

Does anyone have a solution for an annoying problem that I just can't seem to rid myself of? I've got a raised pond, approximately 3 and half foot deep and 1500 gallons with bottom drain leading to a 2 bay filter (brushes/jap matting). Helping with the filtration is a 12ft x 1ft x 1ft stream over two levels, 2/3rds full of alfagrog (assisted in the summer with assorted water-loving plants) which is pump fed from the main pond.

Although the pond is immature at only 6 months old, I keep on top of the chemistry with regular checks and water parameters are well within limits, I've got a dozen or so "low grade" koi together with a similar number of goldfish types and a tench or two. No prize winners in there but I like watching them and they all seem to be in fine fettle - the only one I ever lost was a sickly fellow which pegged it in the first week of them all being introduced back in July, since then I've been incident free.

My problem is midges & mozzies! Even now, with temps around 5C earlier this week, I still get the annoying little buggers hovering around both the pond and in the filter - in the summer there's tons of 'em which takes away the pleasure of sitting by the pond and watching the fish! I clean the filter weekly but always find loads of their wriggly larvae in there. I've got sticky fly-traps and a two bar electric mozzie zapper rigged up and on permanently over my filter (inside the garage) which deals with a good many (but evidently not all) of the adults but the larvae still thrive. In an effort to get rid of them I've also tried those mosquito dunk doughnut ringy things which are supposed to act as a "larvaecide" but had no noticeable success.

So I'm desperately hoping that you guys will be able to help me out and let me know of any effective ways that I can kill off the damn things (without harming the fish) and prevent them coming back before the weather warms up and I'm inundated with them again? I'm sure I can't be the only one who's ever had this issue so I'd be really interested in hearing from anyone else who has suffered with these critters and what you did/do about controlling them.

Itching in anticipation of your suggestions, Thanks & Regards Mick.
Manky Sanke
Site Admin
Site Admin
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Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:24 am

Re: Midges & Mozzies!

Post by Manky Sanke »

Gnats and mosquitoes around ponds will always be a problem because swarming around water is their natural behaviour. Some people say that repellent candles will work but I haven't found them to be very effective. You need to build up the scent in the air around where you're sitting so you need lots of them and the smell blows away if there is any wind. I've found that the best way to avoid being bitten is repellent spays. These are expensive if you are continually outdoors and need to reapply them every few hours but there are suggestions for inexpensive DIY repellent sprays on-line so I've bought some Witch Hazel, Eucalyptus Oil and an atomiser spray bottle and I'll be trying that this summer. If you want to try that, then search on-line and you'll find lots of suggestions and reports of what has worked for some people and what hasn't.

The larvae from eggs laid in the pond or washed into the pond from eggs laid in filters will soon be eaten so they won't cause an outbreak. Ideally you want to stop gnats etc. from getting into the shed in the first place by sealing it but, if you can't stop them getting in, then you can easily stop them from laying eggs in the filter by fitting lids. Lids will also stop any eggs or larvae that have been washed into the filter from the pond from developing into the flying form and flying away and causing a further nuisance but don't lift the lids if you don't have to or any newly hatched ones will fly out.
Airlite
Nurse Shark
Nurse Shark
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:24 pm

Re: Midges & Mozzies!

Post by Airlite »

Thanks Manky, I'm hoping as the garden matures and the plants and shrubs become a bit more established that I'll be able to attract some of the small birds we used to get in before I made the alterations to the house and back yard. We used to get the odd swift or swallow early in the evening darting about after the midges but all we've got at the moment are seagulls hanging around and mozzies don't seem to do it for them!

I've got a mozzie net for the filter which I use in the way you describe above and it has definitely alleviated the problem to an extent but not solved it completely. I posted on another forum that I might have to concede and resort to the old £5 tennis bat zapper gadgy I used last year - the neighbours love it when they see me waving my little yellow bat like some demented aircraft marshaller! Regards as always, M
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