Besides the obvious charm and enjoyment water containers
provide, there is still some maintenance involved in keeping them attractive
and running properly. Along with general
cleaning duties, protecting your water container fish and plants from insects
and pests can seem like a full time job. To name a few: aphids, mosquitoes, spider mites, midges and moths are
some pests that can affect the well-being of your water garden. Luckily, just having fish in your containers
can help keep the problem under control. Simply hose the insects into the container and viola, fish food.
If you’re trying to avoid using chemicals to aid your
efforts, there are some organic methods of fighting off insects and pests. A salt-like white substance called
Diacetemous earth (found at swimming pool suppliers) can be placed in a salt
shaker and then sprinkled over the affected area, where its tiny points
puncture invaders and eventually kill them. Bacillus Thuringiensis (“Bt”),
found at garden supply stores, is a bacterium that, when in direct contact with
insects, will parasitize its digestive tract and kill it. Because this bacterium comes in a powder
form, it can get messy so try mixing it with water and spraying it directly
onto the affected areas.
For the control of aphids, try mixing a small amount of
dishwashing detergent along with vegetable oil and water in a spray
bottle. The detergent will help the
vegetable oil mix with the water while the oil suffocates the aphids. Once the aphids are dead, remove the oil simply
by flooding the container so as to prevent oxygen deprivation for the fish.
Although Spider mites are not common in larger water
containers, they can be found as some sites. A simple hosing on a daily basis with a strong water jet will usually
keep them at bay. For especially bad
infestations, remove all plants and hose them off so as to remove any eggs and
nymphs from underneath the leaves. Insecticidal soap can also be used every three days underneath the
leaves to control the problem.
Mosquitoes are known to breed in the smallest puddle of standing water so it shouldn’t be a surprise to find them living in your water container. However, that fact doesn’t make them any less annoying. Again, in this case you may luck out if you are keeping fish in your container because mosquito larvae are a tasty snack for fish. If your container is sans fish, try floating donut-shaped Mosquito Dunks in your container for mosquito control. For smaller containers, try breaking off a small piece from the donut to float in your container. Mosquito Dunks contain Bacillus Thuringiensis (a bacterium mentioned earlier that parasitizes the digestive tracts of insects, killing them) and are completely natural and will not harm your fish, pets or people.
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