This tip for Controlling Insects & Mosquitoes in Water Butts was sent in by a reader. We’ve not tried all the tips – so if you try this tip, let us know how you got on in the comments box below.
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Happily mosquitoes are just an irritation, sometimes severe, to most of us in the UK but they’re a massive disease spreading problem in hotter parts of the world.
Other insects have similar lifestyles and biting midges are found where it’s damp or there are ponds and standing water. Even with fairly well fitted lids on the water butt, they often find their way in. One female can lay hundreds of eggs.
To avoid this happening float some olive oil on the top. Just enough to cover the surface with a very thin coating. About a tablespoon full should be enough.
After a month or two skim it off and replace with fresh oil. It may look a mess but it will not affect the water quality and I guarantee it will stop them from laying any eggs and kill any larvae.
Before you treat your water butt, remove anything floating on the top.
The only reason for using olive oil instead of the cheaper oils is that olive oil will not separate allowing minute particles to sink down into the water below. It also lasts longer without going rancid. Otherwise any oil does form a barrier and that’s what it’s all about.
thank you so much for tip on olive oil will pop some in on top
Very interesting but does anyone know how long you can store the water?
Most of the web searches suggest that rain water can only be kept for a week or so and even then the jury is out as to using the water on vegetables and other crops.
I don’t know what you’ve been reading but water stored up in the winter will be usable all summer or longer. Drinking water does need more care, but we’re talking water for the veg plot.
Stopping diseases in water butts
i have about 12 water butts. some main stream product named rain butts. that now cost the earth(the government should invest to get these reduced to encourage more of us to harvest rain water ) i also have 6 industrial blue ones all hidden of behind reclaimed nice pallet wood which your able to paint.
I must be honest some have not been used for years ,so full of rain water.. so if suggested on here replace water after a week . sadly sounds absurd as this negate every one use of rain water .everyone will use more tap water. hence a water shortages. Plus millions in lost sales to all the big named retailers taking advantage of every one with the price points.
I have a cistern tank in front garden on hand made brick its always full of rain water. An 1890 shallow sink on hand made brick always full of rain water (except 3 weeks ago in dry spell) I have a small blue industrial brand new butt , a medium size same blue butt. Butt full of rain water, can’t move either if full or water.
Every single day birds swoop to the blue water butts to bath drink, the 2 lids to the blue butts have rain water in also used. It’s made me stop gaze admire smile watching a plethora of birds enjoy. I have another blue butt next to my trailer full of water a green water butt next to a drain pipe, which i forget about.
Also have other plastic tubs that are used for various chores, all harvest rain deluge. Front garden has many tubs with small baby trees shrubs in its my over grown garden for wild life. I have 12 bird nesting boxes on my north facing wall with some inhabitants. it is a boutique hotel with plenty of water , no payment required, if water is only to be kept a week, as Fraiser says. weeeeeerrrrreee all doommmmmed … have a nice weekend . raining here in east Lancashire
Thanks John
This reminds me of when I lived on a marshy island RAF base. The Great Deep as the channel was called had oil floated on it as the mosquitoes were terrible. Residents would say they were as bad as in the tropics where many had been posted. I shall be giving this a go, thank you.
An old ‘trick’ I have seen used, pop a goldfish or two in the butt…preferably if it is open topped. They will enjoy the larvae
My Uncle had goldfish in all of his cattle water troughs for that very reason as he didn’t think that mozzies could be good for the cows.
we also use a double piece of fine netting the thing with fish has been used in China for thousands of years they have hills looking like a lot of steps from a distance /but when you’re nearer you see rice growing and when it’s harvest time they let the water out and also get the fish to eat /it’s been on the TV
The fish poo also acts as a fertiliser for the rice – win win with no added chemicals
Having read these I just put a piece of muslin over the opening and popped the lid back on. Hope it works. My mum told me to put washing up liquid in but doesn’t seem to work.
Also it smelled really bad recently (after I thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed it inside and out only a few weeks before – wierd. so I just bought some tablets by Envii called Water Butt Klear. Let’s see if they stop the stink!