Topic: Lime in water question

[Trixiebelle]

I've got a water butts in my greenhouse for the tomatoes/lettuces and grapes growing in there. There are mosquito larvae in the butts (I'm allergic to the bites) and someone suggested I put some lime in the water to kill them.

Did that today (about half a trowel full) and now I'm panicking in case it won't be good for the plants?

Can anyone advise please?

Thanks in advance

Trixie X

P.S. IF IT'S A STUPID QUESTION THEN I CAN LIVE WITH BEING TOLD  ;D

[Merry Tiller]

Can't give you a definitive scientific answer but I would have thought that half a trowel full in a water butt is a very dilute concentration, I wouldn't worry at all, it's still probably less chalky than the water coming out of my taps

[Trixiebelle]

Thanks MT. Now I'm worrying that it's too dilute to murder the mozzies!  ;D

[Merry Tiller]

Bob Flowerdew recommends goldfish in the water butt to eat them, don't think they'd appreciate the lime though

[Tee Gee]

You don't say if it is rain water or mains water you store, plus where you are from.

What I am getting at is do you live in a hard or soft water area. In hard water areas there could well be some lime in it already (chalk). In soft water areas there will be much less if any.

Like MT I would have thought what you put in won't harm your plants.

Could you put lids on your tubs and keep the water in the dark?

[Merry Tiller]

I have a lid on mine but I still get mossies, they get through the tiniest gap

[saddad]

You only need to break the surface tension, they have to come up to breath, no surface tension and they cant hang around... a bit of washing up liquid will do it!
 ;D

[Merry Tiller]

Good one, I'll try it

[Robert_Brenchley]

A little oil on the surface will kill them quick enough. Cover the butts as well; if algae can grow, that provides food for the larvae.

[grawrc]

What about in ponds with frogs and fish and stuff? We have loads of frogs but still get millions of midge in the summer (and spring and autumn)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Tadpoles aren't predatory so frogs wouldn't affect the hatch much. Oil on the surface will kill them, and probably ruin the pond's appearance at the very least. You could introduce small predators such as sticklebacks if they aren't there already, but they would reduce all sorts of invertebrate populations.

[KMARKSnr]

Spray the surface of the water butt with a strong garlic/ soft soap wash,- kills mozzies as soon as look at them.

                             Regards,
                                    Mark.

[Trixiebelle]

Thanks for all the advice! Couple of questions ...

What sort of oil ... I presume it's cooking and not motor!

And the strong garlic/soft soap wash. Is that a soap wash mixed with strong garlic?

Trixie X

[Robert_Brenchley]

Any oil will do, but the ideal would have no additives, and would evaporate completely within a few days, leaving no trace. OK for killing off a plague, but if it's a persistent problem you have to look for the reasons, and try to deal with them. That's why I suggested a cover; you'll still get a few about, but you shouldn't get a swarm once the larvae are all dead or hatched. Unless, of course, they're hatching out somwhere else.

[Trixiebelle]

ROBERT: I've got a cover on them and it makes no difference  :( And what sort of oil has no additives in it and evaporates?

I'd try washing up liquid but last year I managed to wipe out an entire greenhouse full of aubergine plants with washing up liquid  sprayed on their leaves ::)

What do they say? 'YOU NEVER LEARN ANYTHING BY DOING IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME'!

Quite right I suppose but when you're a gardener it takes another year to test an alternative theory.

I was bereft of moussaka last year. Don't know if I can last another 12 months without it  ;D

Once again, thanks for all your suggestions.

Trixie X

[redimp]

A tiny drop of any cooking oil on the top of the water will be enough to stop them being able to stick their breathing tubes out of the water and they drown.  The water can get a bit greasy (it doesn't evaporate) but it is veggie oil so breaks down harmlessly in the soil.

[Robert_Brenchley]

If they're in there it will certainly kill them, and won't hurt anything. How many mosquitoes are there, and are you sure that they're all coming from the butt? I did have a swarm of gnats one year, but just covering my butt got rid of them.