Mosquito Control

Water Tanks and preventing Mosquito Breeding

We advise of the numerous things you can do to help prevent mosquito larvae breeding in your rainwater tank.

• First and foremost is to ensure you have a secure rainwater tank. Make sure your screens are suitable, that there are no accessible points that mosquitos can fly into. A proper UV protection screen will also help keep the sunlight from getting in, increasing the potential for bacteria to fester.
• Keep your tank clean with regular maintenance. Dirty water has a supply of nutrients for the breeding mosquitoes. If you have sludge build-up on the floor of the tank or organic materials floating around, this increases the chances of mosquitoes breeding.
• Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. If it hasn’t rained in a long while, get into the habit of stirring up the water in your tank. Aeration helps rejuvenate the water. Maybe run a circulation pump to help infuse clean air.
• Clean gutters, pipes and first flush systems. You will never remove all the water from pipes, but if you are able to flush them through regularly, you will help prevent stagnant water creating a breeding ground. With nowhere to breed, there is less potential for eggs to be laid.
• Use a mineral based or medicinal Paraffin Oil. Don’t confuse this with the petroleum based Paraffin Oil, which is very similar to Kerosene, but consumable.
• Reduce any potential for breeding around your water tank/property. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as 3cm of water. As mentioned, they prefer stagnant/still water. So ensure you don’t have any tires, buckets or anything else that holds water that isn’t flushed/circulated regularly. This includes plants that hold water like bromeliads.

A little maintenance from your end can help prevent mosquitoes breeding, and for you to maintain a healthy environment and pristine drinking water.