@cassandra17lina also a small amount of vegetable oil. It creates a skim on the surface, smothering the larvae. Completely natural and biodegradable.
@kendonnelly @cassandra17lina p.s. "take a drink" or live their larval stage under water - that's sealed with vegetable oil?
@CJLavoie @kendonnelly It’s not an issue from what I’ve seen.
@cassandra17lina @kendonnelly My question was about the suggestion to instead use vegetable oil.
@CJLavoie @cassandra17lina yes and I don’t know the answer.
@kendonnelly @CJLavoie @cassandra17lina I don't recommend the oil treatment NOR dish detergent. It smothers the whole pond and isn't good for water fowl, water plants, visiting animals nor fish. It goes rancid very quickly. I use mosquito fish or rosey reds plus the dunks/bits.
@CJLavoie @cassandra17lina I don’t really know. I look at it as a better solution than using pesticides. But I don’t have answers to your fair questions.
The dunks/granules are BT, not a pesticide per se. Bacillus thuringiensis.
@kendonnelly @cassandra17lina How does the oil affect the feathers of birds who visit the water? What about other (beneficial) insects who might be there to take a drink?