From SCVNews.com
March 22, 2021
As Southern California residents, water conservation is part of our lifestyle and rain barrels are an easy way to capture rainwater for future use.
However, if not properly maintained, rain barrels can become an ideal breeding source for mosquitoes.
Learn how to mosquito-proof your rain barrel and continue to conserve water throughout the year while still controlling mosquitoes.
If residents need to store water in rain barrels, buckets, or other similar containers longer than a week, these step should be taken to ensure they are mosquito-proof:
– Cover all water-filled containers with tightly fitting lids.
– Screen all openings (overflows, openings in the lid), including roof and floor gutters with a 1/16-inch fine mesh to keep mosquitoes out.
– Use collected water right away and empty barrels completely between rain events.
– Check the screens for tears/holes monthly to prevent mosquitoes from entering the container and
– laying hundreds of eggs.
– Use mosquito bits if you must keep stagnant water for more than five days.