Having a backyard get together with family and friends is one of my favorite things to do… until “they show up”! The sun is just about to set when the feeding frenzy sets in. Tiny buzzing sounds, interrupted by “slap”, “slap” followed by… “I’m going inside”! Time to get these mosquitoes under control.
Mosquitoes spread diseases like malaria, bird flu, west nile virus, even heartworm infestation in your dog. Beyond that, they are straight up annoying. The best way to keep them to a minimum in and around your backyard water feature is to get them at the source. Eliminate them while they are still in the larvae stage, before they become mosquitoes.
Before we discuss fish that will help you take back your outdoor space. Take these into consideration:
We don’t recommend using chemical treatments as they are risky. These chemicals eventually find their way into the water by means of run off and could contaminate your pond and harm other wildlife.
Mosquitoes - Know Your Enemy
The mosquito goes through four stages in its life cycle. Egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. Female mosquitoes seek out calm stagnant waters to lay their eggs. Water is a necessary ingredient for the eggs to hatch. Some species of mosquitoes lay their eggs in moist soil. These eggs will not hatch until the area is flooded with water.
Some species of mosquito’s eggs can be dormant through the winter if no water is present, and then hatch in the spring during the wet season.
Once hatched the larvae use special breathing tubes sort of like a snorkel that’s attached to their abdomens to get oxygen from the surface. The larvae feed off of organic matter and any microorganisms they come across. During this stage they molt (shed their skin as they grow) 4 times.
When the larvae are mature enough they go into the pupa stage. This is similar to the metamorphosis that a butterfly goes through.
The mosquito gets its wings and then becomes a mosquito. After emerging from the pupa stage it must rest and completely dry out and let its exoskeleton harden.
Once that happens, a few days go by before the mosquito is ready to mate and begin drawing blood. The female mosquito is the only one that "bites". She uses the protein in the blood to produce eggs. This takes a couple of days, then she can lay up to 300 eggs at a time. Then she moves on to he next "victim".
A female mosquito bites and draws blood from her “victim”. Any blood borne pathogen that is carried by that victim is then transmitted to the next thing she bites. Mosquitoes only mate once, however the female can lay more eggs after each intake of fresh blood.
There are over 3,500 varieties of mosquitoes in the world that we know of according to megacatch.com Of these varieties, 175 can be found in the United States.
Fish For Mosquito Control
The larvae stage is the best time to rid yourself of these pests. It’s the time when they are most vulnerable and can be easily eliminated with the help from your scaly friends.
The fish listed below will help you cut down the mosquito population in and around your garden. Adding any of the following species to your pond will put a stop to any mosquito infestation.
Koi
These magnificent creatures are one of the most common sights in a backyard pond. However they do a terrible job when it comes to mosquito control. Koi usually live off of a supplementary diet that you feed them, making them less likely to go “find food”. While koi will eat mosquito larvae, they don’t seek them out intentionally.
Being as large as they are, they can not get into the tight spots where the water is calm and mosquitoes may have laid their eggs. This is left for the smaller fish to take care of.
Goldfish
There are many species of goldfish, all of which are hardy and will survive harsh cold climates. That being said, they will also gobble up mosquito larvae, especially if left unfed and on their own.
There are many species of goldfish, all of which are hardy and will survive harsh cold climates. That being said, they will also gobble up mosquito larvae, especially if left unfed and on their own.
Smaller goldfish especially can get into smaller places where larvae seem to thrive. Not only that but small goldfish will eat mosquito larvae as part of their diet naturally.
Guppies
A guppy will eat its own body weight in mosquito larvae on a daily basis. Not only that but they are small and will get in the shallows and other hard to reach areas.
Guppies reproduce at a rapid pace and after adding just a few to a backyard pond will be filled in no time. What they lack in size, they make up in number.
Adding guppies is not only great for mosquito control, but they are also a great fish for algae control (link to article on fish that eat algae). These tiny eating machines also gobble up string algae as part of their diet. Helping you cut down on another nuisance at the same.
The downside to using guppies as mosquito control is the fact that they will not survive once the water temperature dips below 50 F. Add guppies in the spring, let them work for you all season, then they will die off in the autumn. You won’t have to worry about them taking over your pond because of this biological control.
Mosquito fish
This is a deceiving name and has been given loosely to more than one species. Be sure you add the correct species to your pond or water garden if mosquito control is what you’re after.
One is an invasive species that eradicates mosquitos, and just about everything else. It will shred the fins of other fish living in the pond. The other is nicknamed the mosquito fish because of its small size.
Heterandria Affinis - “Mosquito Fish”
This species of fish live in the southern part of the United States, from Texas to Alabama into Florida. This is an extremely invasive species and will gobble up anything they come across. Mosquito larvae are not the only things on their diet. Other species of fry are also at risk.
Even though the Affinis is only 2” - 2 ½” in size, it will completely wipe out any mosquito population, along with everything else. They can survive cold temperatures and winter in most places and tolerate water temperatures up into 90 F. Once they get a foothold, they are nearly impossible to get rid of.
According to thesprucepets.com this “mosquito fish” has been used in tropical locations as a biological control to completely wipe out the mosquito population.
Heterandria Formosa Agassiz - “Mosquito Fish”
Image from wikipedia
Although this is sometimes called the mosquito fish, it is far too small to consume mosquitoes. The females grow to about an inch in length, while the male counterpart only reaches a mere ¼ inch.
This fish is merely too small to consume mosquito larvae, being almost the same size.
Adding this misnamed “mosquito fish” to your pond will not help cut down the mosquito population.
Conclusion
Using fish to keep the mosquito population down is a great way to give you more enjoyment near your outdoor water feature and garden.
As with most things in life, balance is key. Having goldfish in any size pond may do exactly what you need them to do. Adding a few guppies to any size water garden never hurts. Let nature do the rest.
Keep your water moving and your fish hungry. Your mosquito problem will take care of itself. What steps have you taken to keep the mosquito population under control?
If you are just getting started, or want to expand your existing pond or water garden get our free ebook. It walks you through from start to finish. Helping you create the water garden oasis of your dreams.
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thanks for info
You’re welcome.