Mosquitoes infest non-maintained swimming pools.
As temperatures warm, people head outside to get sun, barbecue, attend parties with friends and enjoy various outdoor leisurely activities made possible by pleasant temperatures. Unfortunately, humans also share nice weather with uninvited airborne guests: hordes of blood-sucking mosquitoes. In the least, mosquitoes are persistent pests. In the worst, mosquitoes are virulent disease-carriers spreading the West Nile virus and encephalitis. Swimming pools (and other bodies of standing water) can be mosquito breeding grounds. Does this Spark an idea?
Mosquito Avoidance
The best chemical pool treatment to prevent pool-bred mosquitoes is simply proper chlorination and filtration. The Warren County Mosquito Commission in New Jersey notes that disinfected, filtered pools do not breed mosquitoes. Regular cleanings, shock treatments and optimal chlorine swimming pool levels inhibit mosquito growth in swimming pools. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists several precautions you and your family can take to combat disease-carrying mosquitoes. First, CDC stresses staying indoors during nighttime mosquito feeding hours. The government agency also suggests wearing protective clothing and draining mosquito-spawning standing water in your yard. Also be sure to secure (or equip your home with) screen doors barring mosquito entry and use mosquito-repellent sprays outdoors.
BTI
EPA-approved in 1983, the larvicide Bacillus thuringienis ssp. israelensis (abbreviated Bti) is a safe mosquito extermination compound. It is a fast-acting soil bacterium that effectively attacks the digestive system of mosquito larvae. Bti only kills mosquito larvae, flies and gnats and poses no threat to humans, pets, plants and other mammals. The EPA notes that there are 26 Bti products registered in the United States; common trade names include Aquabac, Teknar, Vectobac and LarvX. The Rockland County Health Department in New York recommends the use of a product called Bti Mosquito Dunks for pools that are neither treated nor covered. The manufacturer notes that the product is safe for swimming pools and human contact.
Mosquitofish
Releasing a batch of so-called mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) is effective for killing swimming pool mosquitoes. In a 2009-dated article, the "Los Angeles Times" notes that the small minnow feasts upon mosquito larvae, surviving well in stagnant swimming pool water. The publication also notes that mosquitofish are used by government health officials in high-foreclosure Western states such as Arizona, California and Nevada. The CDC states that mosquitofish eat up to 100 mosquito larvae per day. Note that pool chemicals kill mosquitofish, and the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District states that mosquitofish are effective only in swimming pools unfit for swimming and human contact.
Bacillus Sphaericus
According to the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health in Indiana, Bacillus sphaericus is effective for 30 days and is used to kill mosquitoes in swimming pools containing high amounts of organic matter (untreated swimming pools that are unsuitable for swimming). In 1991, the EPA registered the microbial larvicide Bacillus sphaericus as a safe mosquito-killing agent. The EPA describes bacillus s. as a "naturally occurring bacterium that is found throughout the world." It works by attacking the mosquito larvae digestive system. The federal government agency has registered the Bacillus sphaericus products VectoLex CG and WDG.
Tags: swimming pools, mosquito larvae, notes that, Bacillus sphaericus, swimming pool