what can i do to get rid of mesquito lava in a 50 gall water drum and still make it drinkable for the animals?

Answer 1

Several ways to do it.

Add about a 1~2qts of plain,,unscented bleach.
That's fast,cheap,,,and safe.
The water WILL probably have a Chlorine smell---which is NOT Chlorine.
The SMELL of Chlorine is a waste product of the chlorine being tied up with organic matter,,,called Chloramine.

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Another way:
Pour about a 1/4" layer of cooking oil on the water.
The Larva will Suffocate,,,they Must surface to breath.
That's obviously NOT too practical if your animals are drinking directly from your water drum.

But if your are Transferring the water from the drum---such as dipping it out----
You can use a piece of Hose to Siphon the water,
--position Hose IN the barrel,,with it's open end about 6~12" inches from the bottom
-and long enough to reach the Ground AND loop back UP to top of Drum.
--The Loop keeps you from having to "Start the Siphon" each time to draw water,,,,because it holds a column of water in the
section of hose from drum-to-ground.
--store the open end outlet at any level above water level....like,just hook it to edge of tank.

Cooking Oil will NOT harm any animal,,,it's actually a nutrient.
They wont ingest any of it anyway.You're drawing water from well below the oil level.

OR,,You can Leave the oil Slick a couple days,,then skim it off.
Save it in old milk bottles if you want,,,for "next time"
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Most Mosquitos Lay they eggs on Water.
Some lay on Ground,,then hatch when Water is present-such as after a rain.

Either way,,,a common Window Screen type mesh covering your drum will PREVENT the Mosquitoes from reaching the water.
That will keep them from laying eggs>hatching>surfin' around in your water.

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If You want to Rough Filter the water---
A plain ol' Pillow Case is like a "giant sock" and will fit INTO a common 5 gal bucket or small waste paper basket/garbage can.
Cut the botton out of the Container.
Put the pillow case Inside,,then fold over to top rim and Duct Tape it,,or bind with twine,wire,,etc.

Then you have a Big Strainer which will trap all the larvae and other stuff.

To CLEAN it,,it it gets to full of stuff,,,
pull the pillow case inside out and "pop it",,hose it,or sweep with a broom.

Panty Hose makes a surprisingly good Filter Element also.
Push One leg into Other.
Cut bottom off a 1gallon Coffee Can,etc.
Rig it same as above.
The Leg Length is no real prob,You can just let the excess float in the Catch Container you're pouring INTO.
Or Shorten the panty hose if you prefer.

Home-made Mosquito Filtering AIN'T any Science or Engineering.
You've gotta be Greative according to what materials you have on hand,,,and your methods of Tranferring the water from holding Drum to end-use Container.

But for a "Filter Element",,,a Pillow case or Panty Hose is hard to beat.
Cheap,Strong,,Commonly Available,,,and Fine-enough mesh,,and has plenty of Flow-Thru rate for most apps.

BEST thing,,,,keep the water COVERED with Screen to keep mosquitos OUT in the fist place.


Just some Ideas,,hope any of it helps,,,Good Luck

Answer 2

I have two very large pails that I draw from to water my plants. I noticed the larva in both one day. I used a kitchen strainer to capture them all. Easy way out. If you can manage it it would be animal friendly.

I know that a biology professor told me that you have to dispose of the water immediately. I know ranchers that have mentioned taking this action. It would be suggested to dispose of the water.

Don't let them mature.

Edit: Yes, I have heard of fish being placed in barrels before. Good point. That is how it was discovered that a goldfish could freeze and after thawing come back to life! Try a beta, they like live bait and they would stay away from the animals I would think.

Answer 3

Well. the good thing is that they won't stay larvae for long. The bad thing is you're about to have alot of mosquitos in your back yard.

Put a few minnows in there. That might help you out. And if the animals that drink from it happen to swallow a few minnows as well, it won't hurt them.

Chemical-wise...... You can add some salt, maybe. Or perhaps a small amount of soap. Natural soap, though, made with animal fat.

Answer 4

Mosquito eating fish available at your County Vector Control for free.

Answer 5

Ya.. put fish in it.. So that fish will eat them better than let mosquitoes grow.. Try better than nothing.. :)

Answer 6

Put fish in it.