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Here in Texas, we've been getting an unusual amount of rain. Large parts of my yard have been having a hard time trying to dry out, with some visible water standing just below the grass level.

I've noticed some areas are getting a bit "scummy", and others are moving enough to remain clear water -- however, in both areas, I've noticed a lot of insect (and mosquito!) development.

Since this is rainwater, with a LOT of wet soil, and some still running off into public sewers -- So I'm trying to be careful about what I use.

What is a safe way to deal with the insects that are taking advantage of this extra "moisture"?

anonymous coward
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1 Answers1

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A light vegetable oil. A miniscule amount can float on the water surface and totally gum up larval mosquito breathing. Put enough drops in to produce an oil sheen on the water surface.

BTI Mosquito disks - they float on the surface, slowly dissolving and release BTI, a soil bacteria that's lethal to the mosquito intestinal tract.

Fiasco Labs
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  • Do the BTI disks spread out if the water isn't a large contiguous body? E.g., lots of water in grass, but not enough to really "float" something in. Do you know if they're still effective in that kind of situation? – anonymous coward Jun 01 '15 at 02:03
  • You probably will be wanting to use BTI spray or powder application for that. West Nile carrying mud mosquitoes don't need standing water to propagate, muck in a ditch is sufficient, so you have to change application methods appropriate for that, same goes for over-saturated grass and mosquitoes that need pooled water that wouldn't create a contiguous reservoir. – Fiasco Labs Jun 01 '15 at 02:11
  • Excellent! I thought there would be something like that available. Now I know more specifically what to ask for. Thanks! – anonymous coward Jun 01 '15 at 15:28